Wiseguys
by Djuro
Summary: AU. Beck, Andre and Robbie are working for LA's most powerful mafia boss, Mr. West. The guys are living on a fast and dangerous lane, joined by Jade, Tori and Cat. How will they deal with a lifestyle that has broken so many? Rated M for content, language and violence.
1. Quartet

Wiseguys

Sound of shattering glass was heard from Randy's flower shop as people walked past it. Someone had drawn the curtains together, making it unable for the curious eyes to look inside, where Randy was screaming for his life as two young men were breaking everything inside the shop while two more stood next to him, preventing him from leaving and making him watch everything that was happening that moment.

"Please, stop! I'll pay! I'll pay!" the mid aged man finally yelled, sobbing like a child.

"Enough." One of the four yelled, making the other two stop immediately. The tall, athletic young man with the long dark hair grabbed old Randy by the collar and made him look at him. "You hold us up one more time, and my two friends over here will use your face to break everything next time. You got that, Randy?" He said in a calm tone, making it only sound more intimidating. Not that it was necessary. The two muscles next to him were doing it already more than necessary.

"Please, Beck, it won't happen again. I promise!" Randy half cried.

"Give us the money." The skinny guy with curly hair and glasses spoke up now.

"It's in the box, under the pot over there." The scared man said, pointing towards the place with a shaky hand.

The black young man with dreads, who a minute ago was breaking everything, walked over there and picked it up, revealing the box in a hidden spot inside the table. He picked it up and opened it, seeing the cash that was in there. He brought it to the curly guy who took out a certain amount, yet not everything, before closing the box, which the other placed back where it was previously.

Beck let go of the scared man, gently patting him on the shoulder and fixing the man's collar.

"See? That wasn't so hard. So when we come back in one week, the money will be waiting for us, you got that?" Beck said. Randy only nodded. "Let's go." Beck said and the others followed him outside.

_What you just saw us do was nothing special. It was only business, and old Randy didn't hold up his bargain. See, you don't make deals with the mob if you can't keep your word, and poor fella did exactly that. He agreed that we protect him from the other families while he would pay tribute every week. That's how it works, and it worked well for so many years, so why change it now? It's especially dumb to do that when the deal was made with Mr. West. Not only was he the caporegime in one of the most powerful organizations in our country, but he was the uncrowned boss of half of the West Coast, especially LA. And he was it for a reason. He owned most of the rackets the town had to offer, and the ones he didn't own weren't even important enough to be owned. _

_There was also a reason why he was the king of LA, and that reason was none other than the four of us. We, us four eighteen year old kids were the problem solvers. We were the guys who took care of things he couldn't be bothered by. Be it collecting the tributes from all the rackets or setting them straight when they couldn't come up with the money. Be it transporting some wares or stealing a truck that was driving something we wanted. Is it beating somebody up who crossed the family or protect someone from other families, it didn't matter, we did it. _

_The four of us were among many members of the family. Mr. West's job was to keep things under control on the West Coast and the money flowing. And boy did the money flow. I mean, come on, here's me, an eighteen years old punk who lives in an RV in front of his uncles place, wearing an two thousand dollar suit and thousand dollar shoes without even thinking about it. And I got a closet full of them after a year. This lifestyle was everything a poor sucker like me had dreamt off. I got the gift of good looks and the gift of the gab. I was the guy who talked to others. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I was the guy who talked the deals, and I did it for a reason. I knew how to threat people, how to talk to them, how to let them know when you mean business. I loved this lifestyle. I loved the money, the women, but mostly, I loved the respect you immediately got once you are associated with the family. _

_And I knew that the others did to. Andre was the worst. He didn't care that he would be doing the muscle job in expensive clothes that would rip more often than they should. At least now he got used to taking the fifteen hundred bucks jacket off. But who could blame him? I mean, I know the guy since he was eight, and his grandmother had worked her back off trying to get food on the table and clothes on his body. But when she had her stroke three years ago he needed to take over not only the food and clothes dealt, but the hospital bills too. That was when the four of us joined the family. And now? Now he moved her into his new flat that was big enough for a whole family while the best doctors LA has to offer are making sure that his grandmother stays alright. _

_Rob wasn't a sucker either. He was the guy who got us into this life and we were more than thankful for that. His father had been a long time friend, lawyer and right hand of Roy West himself. Unfortunately, when another family tried taking over eight years ago, they made the mistake of shooting Mr. Shapiro while he was getting into his car. Out of loyalty, and the need for replacement, Mr. West took Robbie into the family, providing him a way of taking care of himself and his mother, who hasn't been the same since the day of her husband's murder. Rob changed too. The former weird, shy kid now was the brain of our quartet, taking care of numbers and knowing how much money each racket made, how much tribute it owed and when it was due. He knew who was working there, how long, where they lived and all that. He also knew a lot about the other families, what businesses they did and where the flaws were in their organization. He knew what rackets made profit and were worth extorting. Without him, this whole thing we did wouldn't run at all._

_Last but not least was Adam, the five foot ten two hundred pounder with short black hair and a thick goatee. He and Andre are the two guys you want on your side during a fight, although Adam would be enough by himself. Imagine this, his family moves from somewhere to LA, and then leaves him on the street when he reaches the age of six. Since then, he learned how to take care of himself and, more importantly, how to take care of others. Life on the streets thought him how to evade the police. It also introduced him to the ugly side of LA's streets, having worked small jobs for drug dealers, done deliveries for some black market merchants and many more things. He didn't talk much, but when he did, others listened. When he told you to shut up, you better do so and you better keep it shut. When he told you to fuck off you better fuck the hell off. People were scared of him, but that was just how he wanted it. His presence alone, especially when Andre was there too, was more than enough to change peoples mind about anything we needed them to change their mind. And more importantly, when those two are around, the other families won't try anything stupid. _

The four made their way into one of the bars that were under Mr. West's control, being one of his earliest rackets he got. It was a place full of wiseguys ranging from the West's to associates and allies. When they entered, they proceeded with the standard routine of greeting everyone. It took a while before they sat down in their usual place and ordered their drinks.

"What's next, Rob?" Andre asked. The day had just started for them.

"The plan for today was to collect the tributes from the east part of town. And we did finished it with Randy's place." Rob told them before taking a long sip of his drink.

"That was easy enough. The east rackets rarely make problems, unlike the north ones." Beck said before taking the papers Rob had put down and looking them over. "What's this?" He pointed at a paragraph while looking at Rob.

"A new hotel opened a month ago. It's making quite some money." Rob answered him.

"Anyone took care of it yet?" Andre asked.

"No, not yet. But we don't have the time to go there. It's on the other side of town and we got our hands full for the week already." Rob answered him.

"And by next week one of the other families will have taken it themselves." Beck said.

"Let's go get it now." Adam spoke up, getting the others attention. "Why take a chance of loosing it to the Mavanos or Goleros?"

"I have to take the tributes to Roy. Can you do this without me?" Robbie asked. There were two things Mr. West loved, and one of them was money. Naturally, he hated having to wait for it.

"Sure. The three of us can take care of it. How much is the racket worth?" Beck asked.

"Offer him the usual partnership deal. It's not worth buying out completely." Rob answered.

"Alright, let's take care of it then." Beck said before throwing some cash on the table and getting up, the others finishing their drinks before following him.

Rob took one of the family's cars and drove off towards Mr. West's house while Beck, Andre and Adam drove towards the other side of town where the hotel was. It took them a while as it was rush hour, but after half an hour they finally arrived. Andre parked the white Cadillac, which was the trademark color of the family and the three got out of it. As they began walking towards the hotel entrance, Andre suddenly stopped, making Beck and Adam do the same. They noticed Andre's expression change to an angry one. When they looked where he was looking, they understood why.

"Look at those morons." Andre said as he looked at the five guys that were walking towards them. They were members of the Golero family, a rival mob. Still, they were at peace for now. None of the leaders wanted a war, especially not with the West's.

"We got here on time." Adam said as he lit himself one of his Cuban cigars.

"What do we have here? Three of West's dogs. The racket is ours." One of them said. The guy was in his thirties and wore a green tuxedo with a fedora hat.

"Are you sure? I don't see any Golero worms guarding it." Beck said, a smirk forming on his face when he their angry reaction.

"We are taking this one, so fuck off Beck!" The leader shouted. The folk passing by made sure to walk a long circle around them, knowing very well to stay out of the mob's affairs.

"And if I don't fuck off? What are you going to do Pete? Go cry to your boss? Are you going to suck his dick until you feel better?" Beck provoked, pushing his berserk buttons. It was what he wanted. He knew how to push someone to do something stupid. As long as they don't start the fight and act in self defense, there was nothing anyone could tell them. And as long as Andre and Adam were close, a fight would always be the best option.

"You son of a…!" Pete began as the five began charging towards Beck, but they stopped once they saw that Andre and Adam were blocking their path. Adam dropped his cigar before stepping on it. He then looked back at the adversaries in front of him.

"Out of respect, I will give you a chance to back off." Adam told them. The five Golero goons heard about Andre and Adam before, and none of the stories was a pretty one.

"There are five of us, and there are three of you!"

"Adam and I will be more than enough." Andre said in a cold voice. Behind them, Beck mockingly shrugged.

"So, what will it be?" Adam asked, waiting for any of the five to make a move.

After a long pause, Pete and his gang slowly began walking away. They knew who they were up against, and that they stood no chance.

"Dumb fucks." Andre snorted as the three walked into the hotel.

"Where is your boss?" Beck asked the young girl working on the counter. She looked up at them, a nervous expression replacing the former carefree one.

"M…Mr. Goldstein?" she called, her gaze never leaving the three.

A few moments later a man in his fifties walked out of his office.

"What is it Annie?" He asked her before finally noticing the three standing there. He immediately understood the situation. "Please, come inside." He told them in a nervous tone as he motioned towards his office. They followed him inside as he sat down behind his desk while Beck sat down in front of it, Andre and Adam standing behind him.

"H…how can I help you?"

"My name is Beck, and the two gentlemen standing behind me are Andre and Adam." Beck said in a calm voice as he motioned with his hands towards his two friends.

"Of course, where are my manners?" The older man said with a nervous laugh. "My name is Larry Goldstein, and I am the owner of this hotel."

"Larry, let's get straight to business. We are here to offer you a deal in Mr. West's name. Do you know who he is?" Beck asked. Larry only nodded nervously. "Good, we want to buy a share of this place and become partners."

"Partners? Okay, I understand. Business. What does your partnership offer?" Larry asked, trying to calm down. He knew they would run him over if he kept being nervous and scared.

"That's a great question many never even try to ask. You are a smart man." Beck said as he reached for something in his inner pocket. Larry grew nervous, the idea of being shot on the spot rushing through his head. Beck took out a large bundle of cash and placed it on the table. "On the table are ten thousand dollars. That is my offer for a share of your hotel. For that, we get the top floor and ten percent." Beck explained. Larry looked at the money and then at him.

"Can…can I ask what you need the top floor for?" Larry asked, calming down a little.

"You should be asking that. Partners don't keep business secrets, do they? The top floor will be turned into a small casino. Nothing too big, but it will be good enough for the quests in that will stay here."

"A casino? What about the police? If they find out that there is illegal gambling going on in here, they will shut me… I mean us down."

"That's not for you to worry about and for us to take care off. The police won't be a problem. And neither will the other families. By tomorrow, a few of our guys will be here and watch everything, so don't worry, there won't by anyone else to try to do something."

"Alright." Larry sighed. "It… sounds like a good deal. But… do I get a piece of the casino earning. We are partners after all." Larry asked.

"You really are a smart businessman. I like that. Okay, how about this, I give you my word that more people will come here, rich people, so you can raise the prices a little. Also, you can count on our help should you encounter any problems. You know, someone not paying his bills, trashing a room, whatever. Give us a call and we'll take care of it. Our main interest is our tribute and the gambling upstairs. Of course, you continue to run it your way." Beck finished, waiting for Larry's response.

"Alright. We have a deal. Anything else I should know?" Larry said, nodding.

"We will come every two weeks to pick up our tribute. We." Beck said, pointing at himself, Andre and Adam, who haven't said a single word since entering the office. "No substitutions. If none of us is there, then don't give them a single cent. You understand?"

"Yes. I do."

"Good. It's great doing business with you." Beck said as he got up and extended his hand, offering the handshake. Larry took it and shook his hand, then Andre's and Adams as they left the hotel.

"Easy business." Beck said as they got into the Cadillac and drove off.


	2. Friend and helper

_Business was going so well that it seemed surreal for a while. The rackets were constantly making more money, only increasing the tributes and making Mr. West a richer man by the day, and as long as he is getting richer, he was happy. The bosses were happy too, and how couldn't they be? The only thing that beat us in the money aspect was Vegas, and it didn't win by much. And keeping your bosses happy with money is the best security you can have. It makes you untouchable, no matter if you are a made man or not. Nobody will risk loosing someone who fills your pockets after all. And filling pockets was the only thing this was about. But to make money, you have to invest money, so I did that. One way of doing it was loan sharking. It was simple and it paid off. Let's say you borrow someone five thousand dollars for whatever. No banks needed, no taxes, nothing. Just hand over the cash and seal it with a handshake. The deal is that he has to pay you back six thousand in a matter of a week, and if he doesn't, the debt only grows. And if they gave their word, they better keep it. And if they don't, we pay them a visit. _

"Give us our money, Mike!" Andre yelled as his fist connected again with the other man's stomach, knocking all the air out of his system. Mike fell to the ground immediately, trying to crawl away. He was already bleeding.

"Please…please… I don't… have it yet." He begged, breathing heavily. Beck stepped closer, taking a long smoke from his cigarette.

"That's not how our deal went. We borrowed you the money, and it has been a month." Beck said in a tone that was disappointed. It was all mind games, nothing more. Make a man believe that his days are over, and he will find a way to crap gold if it will save his ass. "You promised two weeks the most. And I've been patient, Mike. I've really been. But I don't think much of a man who doesn't keep his word. And neither does my friend Andre." Beck said, as Andre landed another kick into Mike's ribs, making him roll over and cough out more blood.

"I… I'll get… get you the… money…" Mike coughed out. "Please… Beck…"

"Freeze!" Someone yelled behind them as they got blinded by a strong light. Beck and Andre turned around to see two cops standing there with their flashlights, having them at gun point. "Get your hands up and step away from the man, now!" One of them yelled. Andre let out an annoyed sigh while Beck chuckled lightly. One of the cops walked over to them, cuffing Andre's hands behind him before walking over to Beck, who turned around to look at Mike, who was still lying on the ground, having been beaten within an inch of his life. He looked at Beck who only mouthed him "Two days" before he got his hands cuffed behind his back too.

"Don't make them too tight, the girls love my hands." Beck said mockingly as the cop pushed him forward towards the police car. Andre and Beck sat in the back of the car while the two cops sat down in the front. One of them took the radio and messaged to the police station that they arrested two men for assault on another one.

_I remember the first time I got pinched. Rob and I were selling cigarettes we had gotten from one of the truck drivers on the streets. Truck drivers loved us for many reasons. They gave up what to them was an insignificant amount of their wares that would be labeled as "leakage" or "counting error" and we would sell it for a nice profit. Hell, after a while they would tip us off themselves about the best stuff they were driving and we gladly took it. And it didn't matter what it was, it was all profit one way or another. Of course, we were still young blood back then and the police got us with cigarette packs in one hand and the money in the other. They got us in the police station, but we kept our mouths shut the whole time. We didn't tell them a god damn thing, no matter how much fear they tried to get into us. You can only imagine the relief of us two fifteen year olds when Mr. West himself walked into the police station to get us out. Naturally, we got out not a minute later. When we thought he would bash our heads in for being caught, he only smiled and congratulated us for our, what he called, graduation. When we looked at him dumbfounded, he explained that everyone gets pinched from time to time. But Rob and I did the right thing. We shut our mouths and didn't tell on the family, and that was the true royalty test. Since that day, our little group of four had Mr. West's complete trust. _

A short ride later, they arrived at the police station for questioning. Both were sitting in one of the interrogation rooms. Andre's looked amused, still he didn't say a single word while Beck smirked at the lieutenants attempt to get anything out of them.

"Why were you beating up that man?" Lieutenant Thompson asked again, hoping to finally get anything against them. He knows about the group's activity and has tried to get them behind bars for a while now, but he never managed too. No matter what he tried, he always had to let them go. He especially hated Beck, who didn't waste a second to mock him.

"He provoked us. He insulted my friend over here because of his skin color. Now I know you don't have any friends and can't know, but I get really upset when someone insults my friends." Beck lied. He wasn't nervous at all. The cops couldn't hold them for too long and Mike, or anyone in particular, wouldn't press charges. They were too scared for that. And even if they did, they always had a failsafe.

"And I won't let any racist bastard insult me." Andre added.

Lt. Thompson cursed under his breath. Beck's mocking made him crazy, and still, even when they catch them while they are committing a crime, they can't lock them away. Somehow, they always find a way out.

The sound of the door unlocking and opening got everyone's attention as a tall, muscular man walked into the room. He looked at Beck and Andre, then at his colleague.

"Any luck?" The police chief asked.

"No." Lt. Thompson said with a sigh.

"I'll take it over from here Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir." Thompson said before exiting the room. The police chief locked the door behind them and walked back to the table. He opened the tape recorder and ripped the tape at one point, stopping it from recording anything from now.

"Some old hag heard his screams and called us. You guys really are unlucky, aren't you?" He asked with a smirk.

"We must be. You can't even get your money back without someone screwing it up." Beck answered.

"Don't worry about it. The guy won't press charges anyway. But next time, get him even further away from the flats." Mr. Vega told them before writing something down that would fill as a report. "You want to call someone to bail you out?"

"Sure. I'll call Rob." Beck answered as Mr. Vega handed him the phone and continued writing some report, Andre answering the questions about some details they could present.

_The police: your friend and helper. They are especially friendly and helpful if you take care of them. It was one of the first things Mr. West taught us. Keep the police chief happy, and nothing can stop you. Fortunately for him, David Vega, LAPD chief and brother in law was easy to keep happy. A small token off appreciation every month kept us away from jail and the Vega's a happy family. And they had every reason to be happy. After all, David was way smarter than his colleague Thompson. He had a wife and two daughters to take care off, and the payday for a policeman back then wasn't really rewarding. So what do you do when your income is x, but your expenses are y? You make x bigger than y by any means necessary. So when his brother in law, Mr. West became the capo it was only natural that they would help each other. They were family after all, and family sticks together. Family helps each other and doesn't rat the other members out. So they struck a deal that lasts till today, and it was worth every cent. They want to raid one of our rackets? We know about it a week in advance. One of us got heat on them? We take care of the issue one way or another. They want to bug a place? We know where and when before they can even make a plan. The other families give us trouble? David Vega will put so much heat on them that they won't be able to cross the street without looking over both shoulders a hundred times just so they don't get pinched. And nobody will question David about anything he does. He was way too respected by the townspeople and his colleagues. He was one of the most outspoken men in the country about the mob and how we need to be stopped. It was nothing more but a great deception so nobody would doubt him. See, those small parts in the money machine we are running make it run so smoothly that it can't break, no matter how much they try. And others tried, believe me that. It's not that they were bad. It was that we were that much better. _

An hour later, Adam and Rob came to the station and bailed Beck and Andre out. They had stayed in the interrogation room talking to David about his family and everything. He also had a small tip for them. Beck thanked him for the tip. Of course, he would get a part of the share once they take care of it. And as soon as they were out of the police station, they went to Mr. West's place, dying to tell him about what Vega had told them.

"So one of David's former colleagues is a guard in a warehouse where they will store the cash for the night?" Roy West repeated what Beck had told him. Beck only nodded.

"We wait until one after midnight when the guard will go take a leak or whatever and we walk in and take the money." Andre suggested.

"How much money are we talking about?" Rob asked.

"Half a mil according to the guard. He wants ten percent, and so does Vega." Beck explained.  
"That's still four hundred for us." Rob did the math in a second. "We give the usual to Mr. West here and we still got ourselves eighty grand per head."

"Sounds good to me." Adam said. "When is the delivery?"

"Two days from now. Can you pick the lock?" Beck asked.

"Of course." Adam answered.

"Then you kids go and do it." Mr. West said, giving his blessing. It was all they needed.

_The plan was as simple as it was good. And wouldn't you know it, two days later, 1 AM in the morning, the guard left his spot to take a leak. We had a few minutes, but we didn't need more. Adam took care of the lock in a matter of seconds and we walked inside, finding bags full of money where the guard told us they would stash it. We emptied the bags and replaced the money with old newspapers and some weights. In a matter of two minutes, we were out of there with Adam locking the door again and in our car. We didn't need a gun. We didn't need to beat anyone up. There weren't even any witnesses we needed to take care of. And in a matter of minutes we got ourselves more money than some people make in a matter of years the conventional way. That was why we call ourselves wiseguys. The others who try to follow some dumb ideals while they don't know if they would have enough money for the month were idiots in our eyes. Why would I follow the rules if it only keeps me a poor bastard? We were smarter in that aspect. And nobody complained about it. If anyone did, we beat them up so bad they would never dare to even think about it again. _

In the backroom in one of the rackets the gang brought the money where Mr. West and Mr. Vega were already waiting. They walked in with large bags and emptied them right on the table.

"Who feels like counting?" Beck said while laughing. The smile on the bosses face said more than words could. He congratulated the guys and thanked his brother in law for the tip.

After half an hour of counting, Rob was done.

"Five hundred thousand dollars. To the cent." He said with a wide grin.

"We don't fuck around, do we?" Andre said laughing.

"With so much cash there is a lot of fucking you could do." Adam joked, even he smiling at the success they had.

Mr. Vega got his fifty thousand while they sent one of their delivery guys to take the guards share to him. They could have double crossed him, but why would they? As far as they knew, his information could result in much more money in the future. The gang split the money and gave Mr. West his tribute. It was a lot, but it didn't matter. After everything he had done for them, he deserved it. They took their shares and headed home. Beck got to his RV, stashing the money in a secret place he had. Andre was more than happy to have the next six months of hospital bills covered for his grandmother while Rob decided that he would get his mom a nice present. Adam got into his flat and locked the door again when he heard a sound. It was the clicking sound of someone pulling the hammer of a gun.


	3. Not a monster

Adam turned his head slightly when he heard the clicking sound. He knew not to switch on the light, so he wouldn't cause a shot out of surprise.

"It's me." He said in a calm voice, the roughness not present. He then heard a loud exhale. It was out of relief. He flipped the light switch to light the room and turned around, seeing the redhead standing with the revolver still in her hands. She was wearing one of his shirts, which she always slept in. Comparing her small stature to Adam's, the shirt was way too big for her. He walked over to her and gently kissed her forehead. "You are holding the gun wrong. You need to support your arm." He told her as he demonstrated it. She only nodded before wrapping her arms quickly around his neck. He placed the revolver on the table before hugging her quickly back.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked in a soft voice. She shook her head no. "Then why are you awake? It's 3 AM." He told her after a quick glance at his watch.

"I had a nightmare. I dreamt they came back for me." She said as she tightened her grip around him. He gently rubbed circles on her back, letting out a sigh. He understood immediately.

"Cat, listen to me." He said as he cupped her cheeks with his hands and made her look at him. "They can't find you here. You don't need to be scared. As long as I'm here, you are safe. I promise you that." He told her in a calm voice. When slowly a small smile formed on her lips, he quickly kissed the tip of her nose before he moved away and took of his jacket, throwing it carelessly over a chair.

"Are you coming to bed?" She asked him in her small, seemingly fragile voice, which yet was stronger than it was a few moments ago.

"Yeah, just let me shower quickly." He answered as he placed his things on the table.

"Okay." She said before walking back into the bedroom and lying down on the large bed.

_Everyone who knew about Catherine staying with Adam wondered how the hell those two met. I mean, he was the enforcer feared by everyone while she seemed so fragile and innocent. In fact, iIt really was a great deal of luck for her in a time she probably didn't believe she could have any. And really, what are the chances of Adam and me getting wasted one night two years ago with the boys and actually leaving early the first time in our lives?_

Beck and Adam walked out of the bar that was owned by one of the family members. Both were more then tipsy by now and laughing their asses off as Beck tried to get on his jacket. And they had every reason to enjoy themselves. After a year of doing the deliveries and small jobs that were everything but interesting to the then sixteen year olds, they finally got a job to take over a racket, and they did so successfully. Pete, who was one of the soldiers within the family, decided to throw a small party at his bar to celebrate their success. While Beck and Adam decided to go home around 4 AM, Andre and Rob decided to stay and continue having fun with the two twenty six year old ladies they had picked up.

"Our first racket, man. Our first fucking racket." Beck yelled proudly. Adam smirked at his friend's behavior.

"Too bad Andre and I had to threaten to throw the baker into the oven. I really thought your business speech would be enough." Adam joked. The owner and baker didn't want to cooperate, so Andre and Adam picked him up swiftly and carried him to the oven which Rob opened and threatened to make a pie out of his ashes. The man agreed around half a second later.

"Well, at least you guys are useful for something." Beck said with a smirk. Adam shook his head. There was no use to try and one up Beck. He always had an ace up his sleeve and he wasn't shy to use it.

The two stopped when they saw a young girl with red hair wearing a ridiculously short skirt and some top that showed most of her breasts leaning on the wall and seemingly sobbing.

"What's wrong with her?" Beck asked.

"She can't be older than fifteen, maybe our age." Adam said as he shook his head trying to fix his blurry vision before walking towards where she was standing. Beck was right behind him.

"Why do you even care? She's just a whore wondering where she is going with her life." Beck snarled.

"Yeah, but usually whores don't cry on the street." Adam told him as they reached where the redhead was standing. When she noticed them, she quickly wiped away her tears and fixed herself up quickly, as well as she could. She took in a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey there, uhm, sexy guys. Wanna have some…fun?" She asked in a raspy voice.

"That was the worst attempt of flirting I've ever seen, and I've seen Rob try it before everything." Beck said with a loud chuckle. Adam rolled his eyes at Beck's inability to keep a comment to himself, especially when drunk.

"Go home; this isn't a job for you." Adam told her in a serious voice. The redhead looked down, seemingly wanting to cry.

"P…please, if I don't make anything tonight, N…Nicky will…" She stuttered, but was interrupted when a man who couldn't be older than twenty five walked up next to her.

"Any problems?" He asked. She almost jumped, gasping when she heard his voice. Adam looked at him first, then at the redhead and then back at the guy. He understood the situation immediately. After spending so many years on the streets of LA, he had seen such things more often than he could count. Yet, something about this situation didn't leave him apathetic.

"Don't you want this fine, young piece of ass boys?" Nicky asked. "For fifty bucks per hour, you can enjoy yourself." He said as he squeezed her shoulder, making her whimper in pain.

"Not really." Beck said, feeling sorry for the poor girl. He saw that she was terrified of the man.

"See. You aren't useful for anything." He yelled at her before taking a swing to slap her. She covered her face, waiting for the familiar sensation of him beating her. But it never came. When she opened her eyes, she only saw Adam's hand holding Nicky's and Nicky unsuccessfully trying to pull his hand away from Adam's dead grip.

Adam grabbed into one of his pockets and took out a bundle of cash. He started counting for something while Nicky starred at him and wondered how and why a young kid had so much cash with him. He then lowered the arm he was holding and placed some of the cash into his hand before pushing him away.

"Here, a thousand bucks. Now piss off." Adam said as Nicky looked on. He looked back at the girl.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said in an angry tone, making her whimper again. He then stormed off somewhere. Adam turned around to face the redhead.

"Thank you." She told him in a small voice.

"Go home. This isn't for you." He repeated what he had told her earlier.

"I… I can't." She answered barely above a whisper.

"Why not?" Beck asked her.

"Because I don't have a home." She told them while a single tear slid down her cheek. Beck looked at Adam who gently took her hand.

"You will stay with me for a while. Let's get you out of this neighborhood first." He told her in a calm voice.

"O…okay." She said as they began walking. After ten minutes of walking, they arrived at a crossroad where Beck went another direction. He told them goodbye before walking off, leaving Adam with the small redhead. He noticed that Cat had trouble walking in the high heels she was wearing. He figured that her pimp had made her wear them since she had no idea how to walk in them.

"Wait." He said before he picked her up in his arms and continued walking. "It's not far, so no need for you to torture yourself." He told her while she stayed silent.

A few minutes later, they arrived in front of a building. Adam put her down and unlocked the door. They made their way up to the fourth floor where Adam unlocked another door and entered his flat. She silently followed him inside and took of the high heels, a expression of relief immediately appearing on her face.

"So? What now?" Cat asked with a scared voice. She didn't know what he would do now, but she doubted that it could be any worse than how it was with Nicky and the other girls.

"Take a shower if you want to and get those clothes off." He told her as he entered his bedroom.

"O-okay." She said before walking into the bathroom. She took off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She opened the water tab and allowed the hot water to run down her body. Her imagination went wild, thinking about what he would now do to her and how Nicky would beat her up tomorrow. She allowed herself to cry, remembering her father and the good, peaceful life she had before the accident. Before she was left to take care of herself.

Half an hour later she stepped out of the shower, took one of the towels and wrapped it around her body. She walked out of the bathroom, water still dripping off her body and hair.

"Where are you?" She called, silently hoping that he was gone and maybe she could run off. He walked out of his bedroom, having changed into more comfortable clothes. He handed her one of his shirts. She looked at him in confusion.

"This will have to do it for today. I'll take you to the store for clothes tomorrow." He told her in a calm voice and gave her a small smile. She took his shirt and put it on. It reached almost till her knees and the sleeves were more then covering her hands.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her while she was buttoning the shirt. As if on command, her stomach growled. She blushed slightly while Adam let out a small laugh. He took some food out of his fridge and placed in on the table with some plates.

"Here. It's from earlier today. Nothing special, but everything's closed now." He told her. "By the way, my name is Adam."

"Catherine. But my father loved to call me Cat." She mumbled as she began eating the lasagna he had taken out. She didn't care if it was left over. It was the most delicious thing she had in months.

Adam sat down on the chair across from her as he lit himself a cigarette. He took a long inhale, his lungs filling with the calming smoke as he thought about how to deal with the girl now.

"How did you end up with that idiot?" He finally asked her. She stopped eating for a moment before she placed her fork down and her expression immediately saddened.

"It's a long story." She told him in a weak voice. For whatever reason, he couldn't get himself to stop caring about the girl in front of him. He had business to do and take care of many jobs, and still, instead of getting some good old sleep, he was helping out this girl he didn't even know.

"I got time." He said before taking another inhale. When she began coughing, he sighed and threw the cigar trough the window. Cat gave him an apologetic look.

"Okay. My dad and I moved here three years ago. He found a job here as construction worker while I went to school and did the housework. It was all great until six months ago he fell of a scaffold and broke his neck. He died on the spot. When I couldn't pay the rent, they threw me out and I had to figure a way out to take care of myself. I tried to find jobs in grocery stores or anywhere, but they wouldn't hire me. I slept under bridges or in the bus station if I managed to sneak past the security officer. Two months ago, I met someone who told me they would help me, but before I knew, the guy sold me off to Nicky and the rest you can imagine." She said as she began to cry again.

Adam walked over to her and gently placed one hand on her shoulder while he put two fingers under her chin and made her look at him.

"It's alright. Go, get some sleep. You will feel better when you are rested." He told her.

"W…what about…" She stuttered.

"Don't worry. I'm not in the mood." He told her with a small smirk. She smiled back and stood up. She walked into his bedroom and lied down on the large, comfortable bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.

Adam took his jacket and went outside. He locked the door and walked out of the building, heading the way where they had come from earlier. A few minutes later he arrived at the street where he and Beck had found Cat. He saw another prostitute standing on the sidewalk. He walked over to her. Before she could even try to begin the usual shtick, he cut her off.

"Where's Nicky?" he asked her in a serious voice.

"I don't know." She told him halfheartedly.

"Maybe this will jog your memory." He told her as he held a hundred dollar bill up her face. She looked left and right if anyone was watching and took the money.

"He's in the red house, right over there." She pointed towards the place.

"Thanks." Adam said as he walked off.

"If anyone asks you…"She yelled after him.

"I know." He cut her off.

He opened the door and walked inside. Nicky was sitting there with two more guys his age. When Nicky noticed Adam walking inside, he immediately jumped up.

"What the fuck do you want?" He got right into Adam's face, who didn't even flinch.

"How much for letting Cat go?" He asked bluntly.

"W…what? Why would I let her go? She will make me more money then anyone by the time she is eighteen. When she learns not to weep in front of customers, they will pay tons for her young ass." Nicky told him.

"Then I have an offer." Adam said.

"Oh, and what would that be, kid?" Nicky asked mockingly.

"I give you five grand right here, and you stay away from her. You don't bother her. You don't look for her. You won't see me ever again." Adam offered. Nicky laughed at him. It wasn't that the offer was bad. It was that Nicky had an ego, and he wanted to look good in front of his friends.

"And what if I don't accept?" He asked.

"Then I will break your kneecaps and cripple you for life." Adam told him in a cold voice. Nicky looked at him as if he had three heads before letting out a laugh.

"Let's see you try that, tough g…" Adam kicked one of his knees, a cracking sound being heard immediately. Nicky fell down to the ground, screaming in agony. When the other two wanted to sit up, Adam open palmed one right in the nose, knocking him out cold and breaking it immediately. The second guy tried to punch him, but Adam grabbed his hand, twisted and stretched it before raising his knee into the extended elbow, breaking the arm in the process. The three men were lying on the floor, two of them screaming out of pain. Adam grabbed Nicky by the collar and raised him against the wall.

"Want to see more?" He asked him.

"N…no, please… please..:" Nicky cried. Adam let go of him and Nicky immediately fell down. Adam left without saying another word. He knew that his message was clear.

When Cat woke up next morning, she was surprised to find the bed empty on the other side. She hadn't slept so well for half a year now, and she did feel much better. She walked out of the room to find new clothes of different colors on one of the chairs and fresh food on the table. Adam was sitting on the couch next to the window, enjoying his Cuban cigar and reading the newspapers.

"Hey." Cat greeted him, walking towards the table. "Is this…?"

"For you. I don't know what you like so I got many different ones. I hope you like at least a few." He told her and gave her a small smile.

"I don't think Nicky will like it when I get such gifts." Cat said in a concerned voice, the happiness having left her expression.

"Nicky won't bother you anymore. I talked to him. He gave you his blessing." Adam said, his small smile forming a smirk. Cat stood there, frozen on the spot. She couldn't believe what she just heard. It was the first good news in six months for her.

"You… When? How? Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" Cat asked. It didn't make any sense to her. Why was a guy she met not a day ago now helping her like this?

"I've lived on the street since I was six, Cat. I've been left by my own parents for reasons I don't know and I've taken care of myself since then. I know what is going on there and I know that it's hell on earth. And I would never allow a person like you to go through all that. You don't deserve it. You deserve better. I will find you a place where you can stay and help you however I can until you can handle everything." Adam explained. He saw the tears that were sliding down Cat's face again, but this time she had a smile on her face.

"I'm so sorry. You…You've had it worse than me, and still you are doing this. Thank you. Thank you so much." She said as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He threw away the unfinished cigar and hugged her back.

"Everything will be fine. I promise you that." He told her. "We'll find you an apartment or something soon, don't worry."

"Uhm. Could I…stay here?" She asked him shyly. "I'm sorry; I don't want to bother you, I…"

"Don't worry; you can stay as long as you want." He told her.

_And that lasted for two and a half years. I don't know if they are a couple now or what they are, but when I met her again a few days later, she immediately grew on me. Andre and Rob immediately liked her too. She was really the sweetest girl in the world, and Adam kept his word. He didn't let anything happen to her. _

A week passed since the gang stole the money from the warehouse. Mr. West decided to celebrate the success with a party at his place. Everyone involved was there and many other family members. Beck, Andre, Rob and Adam were talking to Mr. West in one side of the room, joking and laughing. He was proud of them and let them know that. He also told them about the underboss of the organization, Dominic, and that he would come one day next month and that they might get a big job to do for him. They four were naturally excited, having heard nothing but great things about the underboss.

That moment the door opened and Beck's eyes caught someone who wouldn't leave his mind in the future.

_When I saw her walk into the room, I found myself unable to look away. I watched the clothes that she wore fit so perfectly on her perfect body that and her long, dark hair that only made her mesmerizing blue green eyes look even better. I fell in love right there. My thoughts were that I had to have her. I wanted her more than anything at that moment. _

"Hey, dad, I'm going to Tori's place. Just so you know." She told him in a voice that was both cold and yet felt like it belonged to a siren.

"Oh. You won't go alone there." Roy told her. "Beck, Andre, you two go with her and make sure she gets there safe." He told them. Andre nodded while Beck had trouble holding back the grin that wanted to form itself on his face. It was exactly what he wanted. Andre could do the driving while Beck would play his charm. He never had trouble getting the girl he wanted. What he didn't know is that Jade wasn't like the other girls.


	4. Behind blue eyes

_Everyone who knows me can tell you that getting the ladies was never an issue for me. Hell, half the time I only have to show up and flash them a smile and they would throw themselves at me like wild, hungry animals on a helpless prey. It's been like that for many years now. So naturally, I thought getting Mr. West's daughter would be another walk in the park for me. I mean, why wouldn't she want me? I was handsome, I was one of the most respected and feared guys in town, I had the skills, the money and the power to give any girl anything she wants. Little did I know that little Miss West here was anything like the ladies that usually got wet the moment they saw me. _

The white Cadillac was driving through the dark streets of LA as Andre followed the instructions David had given him before they took off. It was quite a ride, and he understood why Mr. West didn't want his daughter to go alone. LA is a dangerous place at night if you can't take care of yourself.

Beck was sitting next to Jade on the back of the car. While he barely was able to take his eyes of her, she had only glanced at him once before she began either looking out of the window or at her nails.

_I don't know what's wrong with me right now. I can't take my eyes of her. I can't stop noticing small details about her behavior and her looks. The way the right side of her mouth forms a small smirk every time she seems to see something she likes or maybe has a pleasant memory. I noticed way she taps a certain rhythm on the door and how she hums a fitting melody to it. I can't stop looking at the amazing legs she has crossed one over the other. I can't stop looking at her toned arms that are crossed over her prefect breasts. I can't take my eyes of her beautiful face. And that one moment, when she noticed me staring, when her blue green eyes finally met mine, I had to stop myself from being the animal in the story. Things like these never happened to me before. Never had I seen someone who could drive me, the calmest and most collected guy in the world, crazy by just being there. And she was doing just that without even trying. She didn't even know what she was doing to me. _

"What are you starring at?" Jade asked in an annoyed tone.

_Her question snapped me out that moment. Her voice was filled with venom. With strength. And yet, it was the most beautiful sound my ears ever perceived. _

"N-nothing. Sorry." Beck stuttered before looking ahead of him. He saw Andre glance at him through the rear mirror. Beck swore that Andre had a smirk on his face.

"Well, if it's nothing, stop staring." She told him again before turning her attention back to the view out of the car. Beck began biting his lover lip, his nerves not leaving him alone.

_That moment I decided that I had to get my game back up. What the hell was I thinking? I am Beck Oliver and no dumb chick can say no to me. So I decided to play my usual game. The one that never failed to succeed. _

"Look, I'm sorry for staring. Let's start this over. My name is Beck. Nice to meet you." He said as he gave her his brightest and widest smile he could conjure. He waited for her response, the seconds seeming like hours to him. Yet, the first thing he got was a long, loud sigh of annoyance.

"My name is Jade, and you can take that wipe that smile off your face. It doesn't work with me." Jade told him in a calm voice. She hadn't even bothered to turn around.

_My smile was gone as quickly as it had come. This was absolutely new to me. Never before had a girl directly rejected me. Sure, often they would play hard to get, but really, it was only bad acting from their part and an attempt not to come over as complete sluts. But this, this wasn't a game from her part. And I didn't understand it. I couldn't understand it. What saved me that moment was the fact that we finally arrived at David's home, our destination. And thank god we did. I just made a complete fool out of myself and I had to collect myself somehow. _

Andre parked his car in the driveway of the Vega house and turned the ignition off. He gave a quick shrug to his friend as both he and Jade got out of the car. They walked her towards the door before Jade knocked twice. Andre waited for the door to open while Beck stood there, looking everywhere but at the girl on whom his eyes had practically been glued until a minute ago. A few moments later, someone opened the door.

"Hey." The young brunette said softly looking at Jade before looking at the two guys next to her. "Hi. I'm Tori." She told them.

Andre nodded back politely while Beck didn't even bother too. He couldn't focus at anything right now except at what just had happened.

"Hey." Jade said in a half sigh before she stepped forward. Tori quickly wrapped both arms around her as they stood there for a short moment.

"How are you?" Tori asked her in a concerned voice. Before Jade answered, she got out of Tori's warm embrace and turned around to look at Beck and Andre.

"You two can leave." She told them in a cold voice before both girls walked in and shut the door behind them.

"That Tori is hot." Andre said as he turned around to leave, but Beck didn't answer. "Come on man, never been rejected before?" Andre asked him with a small grin.

_Yeah, that's how wiseguys threat their close friends. When you make a fool out of yourself, they will bust your balls until they get bored out of it. And when it was my balls to bust, they usually had fun for a long, long time. _

"No. I haven't." Beck answered with more spite in his voice than he originally intended. Andre rose up his hands in defense.

"Wow, tough guy, no need to freak out. Don't worry, you'll find yourself another girl like this." Andre told him as he entered the car.

_See, there was the problem. There wasn't another girl like this. Believe me; I had enough experience to tell. And that wasn't even the worst thing. The fact that she did this didn't make me angry at her. I didn't think like "screw that bitch" or whatever. No. It only made me want her even more. Now it wasn't just because of the looks. It wasn't just a chick I wanted to fuck and then forget. No. I wanted those mesmerizing eyes. I wanted to look into them every damn minute of my life and I wanted to know what was behind those blue eyes. I wanted to know what made her so different. _

The girls sat down on the couch as Jade's face formed a frown while Tori sat down sideways on the couch, directly looking at her cousin. She placed her hand on Jade's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"It's been eight years Jade." Tori told her in a warm, caring voice. And she knew what this day did to her. She knew because for eight years now, it was Tori who had always been there. It was always Tori who made sure her cousin, who she considered more a sister than she did Trina, her older sister who went off to college in another town, was fine.

"I know. And he forgot again." Jade said with a broken voice. Slow, silent tears made their way down Jade's cheeks when she felt two arms pull her closer and cover her with warmth as they did every year now.

"I'm so sorry. I miss her too." Tori said as she gently rubbed circles on Jade's back. She hated her uncle for forgetting this day every year. He was always too absorbed into his business and not enough into his daughter's life. He cared more about the business than he did about Jade, even tough it was the business who took away both his best friend and his wife from him.

"Thank you for being there for me. For all those years…" Jade started, but Tori didn't let her finish. She knew how hard it was for Jade to talk about it, especially at the anniversary.

"Shhh. Jade, we are family. Of course I'm here for you. And you don't need to thank me for that." Tori said with a caring voice. She wanted to cry too, but refused to do so in front of Jade. She had to be the strong one this one day again.

"And then she told him to wipe that grin off his face." Andre said with a laugh. The four of them went to their favorite bar after noticing Beck's bad mood. Beck without a smirk was a rare view, and they didn't want to pass up the opportunity to pay him back for many ball breakings he had done in the past. Still, Rob and Adam didn't laugh. They knowingly looked at one another before sighing simultaneously.

"Bad timing my friend." Adam said. Beck looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Beck asked.

"Jade's mom died eight years ago. Today is the anniversary." Rob said, watching Beck's and Andre's eyes grew wide.

"What? How do you know that?" Beck asked him. Finally, things did seem to make sense to him.

"My father died a month earlier, so I know." Rob said. "Her mother got shot when she and Roy walked out of the grocery store that was two blocks away from the house they lived in then. They aimed for him, and he got down quickly enough. She didn't. Two bullets hit her right in her chest and she bled to death before they even could contact the ambulance." Rob explained, Adam only nodding knowingly.

"And I've lived there for half a year at least when we got into the family. I got to know Jade and she didn't take it well. She never did. I know that that year she also went to her cousin exactly this date. Mr. West always forgets and then remembers too late." Adam added.

"She and I became friends after that for a while, both having to go through loosing a parent. She really changed since then. She used to be rather spoiled and loud, constantly talking. But since then, it changed. She doesn't talk as much as she used to and " Rob finished.

_That blew my mind. I had no idea, and how could I know? Roy never talked about it and neither did Rob or Adam. I felt like crap now. I know I had no reason to care, but for whatever reason, I did. I understood Adam now and why he helped Cat. I understood how it was to care about someone no matter if you just had met them. And whatever the reason was, it was strong enough to make me want to risk everything by dating the bosses daughter. I know it seems that he didn't care, but he did. If anything happened to her, if I broke her heart or anything, I knew he would want my head on the silver plate the same moment. And I didn't care. The only thing on my mind was the dark haired, blue eyed beauty who had stolen my mind the moment my eyes met her. And I wasn't going to sit back. I was going to get her, no matter what. I always get what I want. That was why I joined the mob. That was why I wanted to be a wiseguy. I won't change it now, and I don't care what I have to do. _


	5. Apology

_After hearing what Jade had been through, I decided I had to do this slowly and do it smart. If I really wanted to convince her that she wasn't just another piece of pussy for me, so I tried to come up with something that would get her attention and impress her. But what could I give a girl who can have anything she wants? Anything money can buy? What could even I offer a girl who is the daughter of the most powerful and richest man in LA? _

The gang was doing their weekly tribute collecting in the south side of LA. Something was different. Beck was awfully silent, so Rob was the one doing all the talking while Andre and Adam did the intimidation if and when necessary. Still, a silent Beck was a completely new thing, and it wasn't good for business. So when they collected the tribute from the last racket, they went back to their favorite bar and sat down on their usual table. The rest of the wiseguys all stared at Beck every now and then, noticing the lack of confidence and the frown that graced his expression instead of the usual grin.

"Alright, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Rob finally asked. Beck only rose his head to glance at his friend for a moment before letting out a long sigh and looking down again. When he got his drink, he drowned it in one shot and immediately ordered another one.

"Still thinking about Jade?" Adam asked. He looked around and noticed the others looking at their table. He gave a quick glare and all the eyes that were on them were immediately focused on anything else.

"Yeah, trying to figure out what to do." Beck told him in a almost sad voice.

"You could just ask her out again when she calms down, you know. Wait a few weeks. Right now she probably isn't up for anything." Andre told him.

"I don't think that would help much." Rob answered.

"Why not?" Andre wondered.

"After what happened to her mother and how her father acts, she despises the mob and the lifestyle. Sure, the money and all that is great, but to her it stopped mattering when Laura was shot. I've seen other guys from the family try to make a move on her and she blew them all off. There were even guys her father introduced to her and they only got it worse." Rob explained.

"Perfect. There is a chick out there I can't stop thinking about who I can't offer anything she couldn't have anyway, who hates people like me and already sees me as the biggest piece of crap in the world. Is there anything I forgot?" Beck deadpanned as he drowned another glass of whiskey and filled up another glass, the bartender having decided to bring him a bottle instead.

"Come on guys, you know her both, isn't there anything Beck can do? There has to be something." Andre asked, looking at Rob and Adam. "Or maybe we can do something?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't. She's like a fortress if you will. The only person I know is close to her is her cousin Tori, and she is more protective of Jade than anyone else." Rob admitted.

_Instead of making it easier for me, every piece of information I got only made it look worse. I wanted to break something out of frustration by that point. It wasn't fair. Out of all the women in this god damn big, blue planet I can't take my mind of the one I literally have no chance with. How fucking fair is that? I'll tell you. It's not fair at all. Not fucking fair at all!_

Beck got up suddenly and left some money on the table for his drinks.

"Hey, where are you going?" Andre yelled after him, the three looking on as he leaves without saying a single word.

_I don't know what went through my mind that moment, but the next thing I knew I was in one of the family cars that were always in front of the rackets in case someone needed one and I was on my way towards the Vega house, hoping Jade was still there. I didn't know what I was going to say or what I was going to do, but it didn't matter to me. I had to do something and fuck it, I was going to do something, even if it cost me my head. _

A few minutes later, Beck arrived in front of the Vega residence. He breathed in a deep breathe before walking towards the door and stopping there. He felt his body freeze as his nerves seemingly got the best of him. He stood there, looking at the door, an inner conflict going on in his mind.

_A part of me basically yelled to get the fuck away from there, find a chick, fuck her until my mind moves away from the raven haired, blue eyed goddess I couldn't stop thinking about, and continue it until I finally completely forgot about her. To drown the thoughts of her in bottles of wine, whiskey, gin, whathe fucking-ever and get my life back to normal. And then there was the other part that didn't give a fuck about what the other one was yelling and that couldn't stop thinking about Jade; about the fact that there finally was a girl that didn't escape my mind the next day. I don't know what exactly it was about her, but to me, she was perfection personified within a beautiful body, eyes that I couldn't look away from and a voice that sounded like a chorus of angels. So what part won? Take a fucking guess. _

After ten minutes, Beck finally brought his hands up and knocked on the door. He regretted it immediately, but now there was no turning back. A few moments later, the door opened and Beck was standing in front of Tori.

"Uhm, hi." She told him in a friendly, yet confused tone. He knew that she didn't remember him. He hadn't even introduced himself when they met.

"Hi. Is Jade here?" He asked her in a seemingly tired voice. And he was tired. The past few days were sleepless for him, his mind never finding peace because it always ended up on the same person.

"Yeah, she is. Is anything wrong?" Tori asked.

"No. No, nothing is wrong, I just…" Beck stopped and let out a sigh. "My name is Beck and I brought her here a few days ago. Could I speak to her?" He asked her in a more polite tone.

"Jade, someone wants to see you." Tori yelled into the house. Beck felt as if a ton of bricks was taken of his chest.

"Who is it?" Jade asked as she stepped towards the door, her eyes immediately meeting Beck's. "What do you want?" She asked him in a half annoyed tone.

"Can we talk? In private." He said before looking at Tori. Tori looked at Jade who thought for a second and the nodded.

"Alright. If you need me, I'll be right inside." Tori said as she walked in the house and closed the door.

"What do you want?" Jade asked him again.

"I'm sorry about the way I acted a few days ago. I didn't know it was your… mother's anniversary. I'm very sorry for your loss." Beck said in a warm, regretful tone. Jade's eyes shot up at him.

"How… how do you know…" She stammered. She was surprised about two things at that moment. She was surprised about Beck knowing what happened, and she was even more surprised at a wiseguy apologizing. It was something that she never had seen before. She knew her father never apologized to anyone, even if he was completely wrong.

"Rob told me. I wish he did before, because if I had known I would have kept my mouth shut in the car." Beck honestly said.

"Al…alright. Is that all?" Jade asked, not looking at him anymore.

"No. I would love if you could give me another chance. If we could start over." Beck said in a half defeated voice. "My name is Beck Oliver. I'm from Canada and I've been working for your father with Andre, Rob and Adam for three years now." Beck said, re-introducing himself and offering his hand for a handshake. The genuine gesture got Jade's attention back. She looked at his hand before she looked at him, into his eyes. Her blue eyes met his brown one and saw the sincerity inside of them. After a long silence, she accepted his offer and shook his hand.

"Hi. I'm Jadelyn West."

_That moment, when her hand touched mine, I swear it was as if I touched raw electricity. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine while my chest felt as if there was a thousand pounds lying right on them. It felt like a trip. As if I had taken something that sent me somewhere I've never been before. _

"Nice to meet you." Beck said after collecting himself quickly. He didn't want to screw it up again. "I have one more question, Miss West." Beck said, deciding to go the polite way.

"What is it?" She asked, something intriguing her about him. His behavior didn't resemble the usual behavior the other mob guys had. The cockiness was gone. She couldn't see any egocentrism or arrogance right now, and she was excellent in reading people. It was why she didn't bother with him the first time she met. She immediately saw through his plan. But right now, she wasn't sure if he was genuine, or if he was the greatest actor in the world.

"Would you let me take you out one day? Have dinner and talk. I would love to get to know you a little better." Beck asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Jade told him in a sincere voice that lacked the usual coldness. She expected him to try something to change her mind now. They always did. They never knew when no meant no.

"Alright. If you change your mind, you know where you can find me." Beck said, surprising Jade again. "It was nice talking to you at least this little bit. And again, I apologize for my behavior that day. I hope you are okay." Beck told her before turning around and walking to his car. He got in and drove away.

Jade stood on the porch, looking after him and hugging herself. She thought she had figured his out, but right now, she wasn't sure anymore. His words seemed genuine. He did things she never experienced others doing. After all, she was always surrounded by such type of people since the family was an almost completely isolated thing. She let out a long sigh just as the doors opened. She turned to see Tori standing there with a curious expression.

"And? What did he say?" Tori asked.

"He apologized for his behavior the other day and asked if we could go out and have dinner or something." Jade summarized.

"And? What did you say?"

"That I don't think it's a good idea." Jade answered. "And instead of being annoying or anything, he told me to tell him if I change my mind and left."

"Do you want to go out with him?" Tori asked with raised eyebrows.

"No… I… No… I don't know. He doesn't seem like…"

"The other jerks that usually hit on you?" Tori finished. Jade only nodded before feeling two hands on her shoulder.

"I think you should give him a chance." Tori said with a small smile. "I can't remember you going out with anyone, and he did seem like a nice guy."

"You don't know the stories about him. He's a womanizer. One of those guys who is good at talking his way into everything he wants." Jade explained. She wasn't deaf, and she knew the stories.

"Oh." Tori only said.

"But still, it didn't…feel as if he was acting or anything. It felt…real." Jade said, looking at her cousin, hoping for any good advice.

"Alright, how about this. If he finds someone, we can go on a double date. He and one of his guys and the two of us. So I can keep an eye on you. And if he does anything stupid, I can kick his ass." Tori offer with a small smirk. She saw Jade smile a small smile herself.

"You would do that for me?" Jade asked, her voice filled with gratefulness.  
"You know I would do anything for you." Tori said before she found herself engulfed in a warm hug.


	6. Bad, better, worse news

_The talk with Jade hadn't been useless. I found some goddamn sleep that night and felt as if I had been rejuvenated the next morning. I got out of my bed, put on my best set of clothes, a black long coat and my favorite black fedora hat. Today was an important day and I wanted to be ready. The Underboss of our family was coming today and I needed to be ready and focused. I couldn't let my mind slip for a single moment and fixing whatever I fixed last night with the girl who keeps haunting my mind will be more than good if it keeps my mind of her for even a short time. _

Beck walked out of his trailer and got into his car, driving immediately towards the restaurant the family would meet. It was a private place, a place where no outsiders would come and the cops knew to stay away from. Beck parked his car and stepped out of it, fixing his hat and slowly making his way towards the entrance. He walked into the restaurant and looked around for his gang.

"Where the hell are they?" He mumbled to himself before he felt someone pat him on the shoulder. He turned his head to see Adam standing next to him.

"They'll be here soon, don't worry." He told his friend before they made their way towards the free table. Both looked around, noticing the nervous expressions on everyone's faces. It doesn't happen often that the Underboss and second in command comes to LA, and if it happens, it's had to be something big.

"Everyone's nervous." Rob said as he joined them a minute later and sat down. He took of his glasses and cleaned them before placing them down on the table.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" Adam asked Rob.

"I have a few theories, but I won't just throw them out now. But if I'm right with any of them, things will get dangerous soon." Rob finished just as Andre arrived.

"Hey guys. Just saw a black Dodge Deluxe park in the parking lot. That is not one of our cars." Andre stated as he sat down and took off his white scarf.

"So he's here." Beck said.

"They are here." The gang heard someone behind them say. They turned around to see Roy West himself standing next to them.

That moment, the door opened and two men walked into the room. The first one was around six foot two, had short brown hair, a soul patch and wore a blue shirt with his black paints and black pair of shoes. He was fairly built, the muscle showing off under his shirt and the scar on his left cheek showed that he wasn't a guy for the easy, soft work. He looked around the room before stepping aside, letting a monstrous figure walk in.

The guy was at least six foot six, his dark hair combed behind classis mob style, a strong goatee on his chin and light blue eyes that pierced into your soul when they landed on you. His muscular built shamed even guys like Andre and Adam. His black suit with white stripes wasn't cheap by any means and the fingerless gloves he wore were barely big enough to contain his large fist. When he stepped inside, everyone and everything went quiet immediately, all eyes glued on the imposing man. He looked around and grin formed on the edge of his lips. He and the other guy walked into the place.

"Dominique, Theodore, long time no see." Roy West said as he walked to them. Both guys smiled up as they hugged the capo and lightly patted him on the back.

"How have you been Roy?" The taller man, Dominique asked in a deep, imposing voice.

"I've been well. Business is doing great. How's your son?" Roy asked; a relaxed smile on his face.

"He's great. Just began school. Can't believe he grew up so fast." Dominique said with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, they all do. Theodore, I haven't seen you in years. Where have you been?" Roy asked the smaller guy.

"You aren't lucky, Roy. Every time you come to us, I am in Vegas or Florida doing business. You need to give me heads up earlier." Theodore answered him in a raspy voice. They continued their chat for a few minutes, catching up with everything while everyone else looked on in disbelief.

_Yeah, those two are the quests we've been waiting for. Don't let their relaxed nature fool you. Those two are amongst the most powerful and dangerous men in the country. The shorter guy, Theodore, is Dominique's enforcer and personal bodyguard. He's a legend among wiseguys, having done jobs and hits for the mob since he was able to hold a gun at the sweet age of twelve. Later, he decided to keep the gun as last option and let his fists do the job, and boy they did an amazing job. If the stories are true, he once beat up a bar all by himself. The detail is that the bar was full of rival mob members, who were everything but impotent fighters. And why did he do that? They talked shit about Dominique. _

_Dominique is the Underboss we've been waiting for and the second most powerful man in the whole family. He could easily be called equal to the boss himself. After all, they were brothers. He was a feared enforcer himself. He and his brother took over New York by themselves all under the noses of the families that were there at that point. And those families were powerful families, but there was nothing they could do. After New York wasn't enough for them, Dominique and his childhood friend Theodore got send to Florida where they drove out the rival families and took over every single racket in the whole state. After that, the three "demons" as the religious families called them took over Vegas and since then, they are virtually untouchable. _

Dominique, Theodore and Roy walked towards the table the gang was sitting on. The four got struck silent the moment two of the "demons" stood there. Even Andre and Adam were left speechless.

"Those the four you've been talking about?" Dominique asked, looking at Roy.  
"Yes. Those four are my most competent group. They have extorted over two hundred rackets in the past three years and kept the streets under my control." Roy said as he patted Beck on the back.

"Glad to meet you four. Do you know who I am?" Dominique asked. The four nodded. "Good, because I know who you are and I also know what you are capable off." He said as he took a chair and sat down on the table with them, still towering over them.

"I'm here because of something important. According to the word on the streets, the Canaos will start a war with us soon." Dominique said in a serious tone.

"Canaos? Oh hell no." Andre said before covering his face with his hands for a moment and letting out a long sigh.

_His reaction was more than reasonable. It's never good news when two of the three most powerful families are starting a war against each other. No matter who won, it was a Pyrrhic victory. The losses always were way to severe._

"You can say that out loud. If they declare war on us, it's serious." Dominique says.

"And we got the Mavanos and Goleros on our necks." Beck said.

"I knew it." Rob said suddenly. "Their rackets have been loosing money and they would go under in a few years with this deficit. War is their last option."

"I'm impressed." Dominique said with a smirk. "You guys did your homework. Listen to me carefully. I want the four of you to keep your eyes and ears open. They haven't yet made their move, and I would love for it to stay that way. But if they do and you find out, you are going to tell Roy, and he will tell me. After that, wait for your orders." Dominique explained.

"So it could be back to the mattresses soon." Adam said.

"Very possible. Stay twice as cautious as you are usually. You never know what those fuckers might try." Theodore added. Dominique nodded in response.

_The worst news possible just arrived in our pretty town. A mob war is the last thing we want. Life was too good right now and of course those cancers from Sicily managed to ruin it. _

Dominique and Theodore walked over to the other tables, talking to certain groups specifically. Roy was always next to them, listening to what they said.

After two hours, the two left and Roy dismissed the others. It was a free day and the guys were more than happy about it.

"A fucking mob war. Great. Just great." Rob said with a long sigh.

"And the worst thing is, we are waiting for their first move. So something bad has to happen for us to do something. Fuck." Andre said angrily.

"Better that than a full fledged war out of nowhere. If anything, they are desperate now. Desperate people make mistakes. And when they make one, they are done." Beck said.

"If their first move ends up being a mistake, we can call ourselves lucky." Adam stated. They got into their cars and drove off towards the bar. They needed a shot of good old whiskey after such news. Yet, when they arrived there, Beck was more than surprised to see Jade sitting on a table with Tori, both of them talking and laughing about something.

"Look who found you." Adam told Beck with a smirk. "Well, I'll go back to my place. I got to break the news to Cat." Adam finished as he walked away.

"Yeah, I'm going too. Good luck." Rob told him as he followed his friend outside.

"Tell me you are leaving too." Beck said in an annoyed tone.

"Yeah." Andre said with a grin before walking away himself.

"Idiots." Beck cursed under his breath before walking towards the table where the two cousins were sitting. When Jade saw him approach, she immediately became silent while Tori looked at him with a small smile.

"Hello ladies. What brings you to my favorite place?" Beck asked in a charming tone.

"Come on. Ask him." Tori said, looking at her cousin.

"Uhm. About your offer last night… Is it still on?" Jade asked shyly.

_When I heard her ask that, my heart skipped twenty beats. I forgot about the possible mob war, I forgot about what Dominique had told us earlier, I forgot about everything happening around me that moment because all I could think off was that I would get a chance with the raven haired, blue eyed lady who just yesterday seemed unreachable to me. _

"Uhm…S-sure. I would love if you would accept." He stuttered out clumsily.

"Okay. Then I would love to take you up on that offer." She said in what she tried to make a neutral tone.

"That's great. How about tonight?" Beck said with a wide smile. He didn't even try to hide his excitement.

"Alright. But I have one demand." Jade said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Find someone who will come with you, because Tori is coming with us and I would hate for you to be our third wheel. And no, I'm not going anywhere without her." Jade said. Beck looked at Tori who only shrugged with her shoulders.

"Alright. It's a deal. Me and a good friend of mine are going to pick you up at seven. Be ready." Beck said as he turned around and left, immediately running to his car and driving off.

"That was easy." Tori chuckled.

"Yeah, but I still have a bad feeling about this." Jade said honestly.

"Jade, you know I love you, but you have a bad feeling about everything." Tori told her with an apologetic smile. Jade gave her a glare, but quickly dropped it.

"I know you are right." Jade sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll be there too. I told you, if anything even starts to go wrong, we will get out of there and that's it." Tori reassured her.

"Let's hope that it won't be necessary." Jade smiled herself, excited about the date tonight.

Adam arrived at his place and unlocked the door before slowly opening it and walking inside. He looked around and shut the door again before locking it. He threw his jacket on the back of a chair and sat down onto the sofa. He let out a long sigh before he lit one of his cigarettes.

"Adam, is that you?" A soft, what seemed scared voice yelled from the bathroom.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't worry." Adam yelled back. He heard the water in the shower stop and a few minutes later, Cat walked out of the bathroom. She wore some comfortable pants and a bright pink sweater.

"Hey." She said in her usual small, yet happy voice, but then she saw his worried expression. "Is something wrong?" She asked him as she walked closer.

He looked at her with his dark brown eyes, trying to figure out how to break the news to her. He wasn't good with such things. He had always been an honest, straight forward guy who didn't beat around the bush. But with Cat, he didn't want to use such an approach. He cared too much about her to act that way.  
"Adam, what is it?" She asked him again, putting her hand on his shoulder. He let out a long sigh before deciding to tell her.  
"There might be a mob war soon, and I would have to leave for a while." He said, waiting for a response. The only thing he got tough was a gasp from her.

"W-what?" She asked in disbelief.

"If they start a war against us, I'll have to leave for the safe houses and…" He didn't finish. He knew that she already knew what he meant.

"No. No!" She yelled, sitting down in his lap and wrapping both arms tightly around his neck. "Please, don't go. Please."

"Cat, I'm not leaving yet, but I will have to soon. It won't be long, and you are safe here." Adam tried to reassure her, but she only shook her head.

"And what if you die? What if they get you?" She asked him, tears freely sliding down her cheek.

"Cat, they won't."

"How do you know? What if they do?" She cried out, sobbing into his neck and shoulder.

"If they do, you know where I put all my savings. It's enough for…" He tried to finish, but she cut him off.

"It's not about the money!" She yelled as she clubbed him into his chest with the bottom of both fists. It didn't hurt him, but it did shut him up. "I don't care about the money Adam, I care about you. You are the only one I have left. I lost my mother when she gave birth to me. I lost my father when he was at work and I don't have anyone else. I didn't until you saved my life. You promised me you wouldn't leave me, no matter what. And I believed you. Please, please, please…" She sobbed into his chest. "I can't loose anyone else." Her voice broke with the last words, only uncontrollable sobs being heard. Adam hugged her tightly to himself, cursing everything under his breath.

"I promise you that I will come back. I never broke my word and I won't do it this time." He told her in a soft voice. "Cat, look at me." He cupped her cheeks and she looked at him with her brown, tear filled eyes. "I won't leave you. I never will."

"You…you mean it." She asked through her sobs.

"I do." He said before kissing her.


	7. Double double date

The light was on in Beck's RV as he was looking through all his clothes and suits, trying to find anything to wear for the double date. For whatever reason, none of the multi thousand dollar suits and pieces of clothes didn't seem good enough that moment.

"God damn it, I feel like a chick." Beck cursed as he threw the shirt down on the floor.

_Yeah, dressing up was the problem at that point. I didn't know why I had so much trouble with picking something. Well, actually, I did. I knew Jade was going to be gorgeous and I didn't want to disappoint. Still, if it was her I wanted to match, I might have picked a bar set way to high for that. Still, after another half hour of cursing and picking, I finally set for a black suit without tie and black shirt. I knew I looked good, but what bothered me was if I looked good enough for her. _

"Thank god the guys haven't seen this." He mumbled to himself before taking his car keys, his money and the rest and walking outside. Andre was supposed to pick him up any minute and right on the moment, as Beck got outside Andre parked into his driveway. Beck walked around the car and sat down in the passenger site. He looked at his friend, who had picked a more leisured look. He wore dark pants, a red shirt and a brown leather jacket. Andre reversed out of the driveway and began driving towards the Vega's house.

"Thank you for doing this." Beck told his friend, who only chuckled in return.

"Yeah, please go out on a double date with me and entertain the smoking hot cousin. Yeah, it really was hard for me to do so." Andre said with a grin. When Beck came over to his place earlier to and asked him to accompany him on the double date, he was more than happy to say yes.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at the Vega residence. Both guys got out of the car and walked over to the door. Andre knocked and stepped back again, waiting for someone to answer. Half a minute later, the door opened and a woman in her forties was standing in front of them.

"Oh, hello boys. My name is Holly. Please, come in. Tori and Jade will be ready soon." She told them as she stepped inside and let them enter the house. They stood in the living room for a few moments before they spotted someone walk down the stairs. Beck's jaw almost dropped at the view in front of him.

_My heart showed me that moment that it was stronger than I expected, because it skipped a few beats and still kept working after that. Jade was wearing a tight fitting dark purple dress and had black high heels on. I knew she would look amazingly, but this went beyond my expectations. She had let her raven black hair fall down freely and kept the make up to a minimum. The dress showed just enough of her cleavage and the while the dress was long, it still was short enough to show her black stockings. God, she is hot. _

"Hey guys. You ready?" Tori said as she walked down next. Beck noticed Andre lick his lips occasionally, understanding that his friend wasn't left apathetic either. Tori was wearing a long red summer dress with a fitting vest. Her look fit Andre's tough, as it was more relaxed compared to Jade's or Beck's.

"Yeah, let's go." Andre said as he opened the door for the ladies. Jade hadn't said a word the whole time, nervously looking away from Beck while he struggled not to stare at her the whole time. The four got to Andre's car and Tori decided to sit shotgun, allowing Jade and Beck to sit together in the back of the car.

"So? Where are we going?" Tori asked, looking at Andre first before turning her gaze to the two in the back seat.

_That moment, I decided to drop the nervousness and begin being myself again. I wouldn't get anywhere by being silent and nervous, so I decided to take control of the situation._

"Well, Andre and I decided to take you to the finest spot in town. The Cullier's are having some life music too. The band is great, I'm sure you will love them." Beck said with his usual confidence.

"The Cullier's? When did you make reservations?" Tori asked. She knew the place and that it took weeks to get a place there, and that they had no idea about the date until earlier that day.

"We didn't. But don't worry. I'm sure Beck can take care of it." Andre said with a smile.

Beck turned his attention to the lady sitting next to him. She hadn't said a word, and he understood that she might have second thoughts about the whole date thing now. But he would make sure she wouldn't even think about making Tori take her home.

"That dress fit's you well. You are gorgeous." Beck said as he turned his gaze to Jade.

"Uhm. Thanks." Jade said nervously. He knew she would try to set up the wall again, but he was ready. After all, he had gone through this conversation a million times in his mind.

"I mean it. The purple color makes your beautiful eyes stand out more." Beck said before turning his attention to his window.

"My… eyes?" Jade said, finally looking at him. Nobody ever complimented her eyes. They always complimented her body, her chest, her legs, her ass and all that, but nobody ever said anything about her eyes.

"Yes, your eyes. The blue-green is really mesmerizing. It is as if someone took a sapphire and an emerald and combined them into a perfect jewel." Beck answered.

"T-thanks." Jade said as she turned her head away towards the window, trying to hide the blush that made her way onto her face. It was the best compliment anyone had given her until that day.

"No problem. I mean it." Beck said before allowing silence to surround them again. He noticed that Andre and Tori didn't have any problems with talking to one another. They immediately hit it off talking about music, both seemingly sharing a strong love for blues.

"I'm sorry, but nobody ever complimented my eyes. Other guys only seemed to notice…other things." Jade said suddenly, getting Beck's attention back.

"That's a shame. I believe there is more to you than just that." Beck said before he turned his body and focused her attention on her. She looked back at him, a feeling of warmth and comfort overtaking her.

_Yes, I knew how to talk to people. I knew exactly what to tell them and how to talk to them to get whatever I want. But the thing was, I meant every word I told her. Every single word I wanted to tell her since I met her that day. And if I could talk my way to get every trivial thing I wanted, I would do everything I could to get what I not only wanted, but truly desired. _

After half an hour of driving, they finally arrived at the Cullier's. The four got out of the car as Andre tossed the key to one of the guys over there. He only nodded in return.

"Why did you give him your keys?" Tori asked, looking at her date for the night.

"Someone needs to watch the car and the parking lot is too far for my taste." Andre replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world as they moved towards the restaurant. The long line in front of it made both Jade and Tori sigh.

"It will take at least an hour to get in." Jade said in an annoyed tone. Beck and Andre let out a light chuckle as Beck took Jade's hand and began leading them.

"I don't feel like waiting." Beck said as he made his way to the door and waved at the doorman who smiled back as they walked by.

"Wait, why can we just walk in?" Tori asked, looking first at Beck and then at Andre.

"The doorman is a good friend of ours; let's just say it that way." Andre replied as they headed into the restaurant, only to find it completely full.

"Great. And what now?" Jade asked. She was more than annoyed by now. Why did they take them to a place where they couldn't even get a seat? Beck was about to answer before he felt someone tap him on the arm. He turned his head to see Andre standing next to him.

"What?" Beck asked.

"Look who's already there." Andre said, pointing at a table in front of the stage the band would perform on. Beck looked to see someone sitting there with a redheaded lady. He smiled, knowing very well who it was.

"Follow me." Beck said as he led them towards the table. And they were right. When they arrived there, they found Adam sitting there with Cat and her telling him something about the band that was going to play.

"Why are you here?" Beck asked, getting Cat's and Adam's attention.

"Hey guys. Didn't expect you here." Adam said as he got up and Cat and him greeted the others. "Jade, Tori, haven't seen you two in a while."

"Hey. Sorry for just walking past by you the other day. I was…" Jade began, but he didn't let her finish.

"Don't worry. I know what day it was." Adam said and gave her a small smile.

"So? How come you are here? I thought you wanted to take the day off." Beck asked.

"Well, Cat wanted to see her favorite band and I said no. I explained that I wanted to sleep and relax a bit and then she made this thing with her eyes and her lower lip and now I'm sitting here with her." Adam said as he sat down and shook his head while Cat smiled innocently. The others chuckled at the usually cold man and how he changed when the small redhead was around.

"So? Where are we going to sit?" Tori asked.

"I'll be right back." Beck said as he walked towards a man dressed in a red suit. The others saw the man shake Beck's hands and they talked for a minute with Beck pointing towards the spot they were standing at. The man only nodded and said something to one of the waiters who immediately walked to the storage room. Beck and the man shook hands before Beck headed towards the gang again.

"We will be seated in a minute." Beck said with a relaxed expression. A minute later, two waiters carried over a large table while two others carried four chairs and placed them next to Adam's table, giving the gang the best seat in the house.

"How did you manage that?" Jade asked Beck as they sat down.

"We kinda know the owner." Andre said as he took the menu.

"So you can just walk into such places and get what you want?" Jade asked. She imagined that working for her dad had its good sides next to all the bad ones, but she didn't know how far his name and influence could take the guys. And how could she know? She always stayed away from all that.

"Pretty much. It's good when you know everyone and everyone knows you." Beck said calmly.

"Where's Rob? I thought he would be here too." Andre asked.

"You thought right." They heard someone say. They all turned to see Rob standing next to the, a tall, hot blond standing next to him. Rob turned to the owner and pointed with his finger to the table. The owner nodded and not too long later two more chairs were added.

"Rob, who's your date there?" Adam asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"This is Lisa. I met her in a flower shop today as I was passing by and had to ask her out." Rob explained.

"Nice to meet you all." She said.

_Yes, the gang was together now. Well, spare the blond chick. Rob changes them as often as his clothes. One day it's one and the next day he already got another. They never last with him. But who could blame him? Until a few years ago, every girl blew him off without giving him even a chance. It all changed once he became someone and got his share of confidence. And in his mind, he is paying them back for all the years of ridiculing. And in my opinion, he has every right to do so. He especially found a liking to those blonde, tall girls who could be models. Why? Because those had been the worst to him. And what does he do know? He takes them out nicely, shows them everything he can do and then does everything he knew they liked and wanted in a man. Then he would fuck them until he had enough and then would tell them to piss off. No, he's not a nice guy. And why would he be? He was that for so long and it got him nowhere._

They all were sitting there for a few hours, enjoying the music and talking about everything but their jobs.

"Come on guys, it's our day off and I really don't think we should talk about our jobs now." Rob said and the others agreed.

"How did you four meet?" Tori asked, pointing at the four guys. "I know Adam and Rob from before. Adam lived at Jade's place for a while years ago and Rob's dad was a close friend of my uncle, so I got to know him too. But how did the four of you actually meet?"

"It's all Beck in that aspect. We got to know each other because of him." Rob said.

"Really? How did you two meet?" Jade asked, looking between the two.

"I moved to LA when I was five and ended up in school here. One day, I think I was in third grade, I saw some of my classmates beat up someone during lunch break. I got in and managed to get them off the poor fella. Guess who it was." Beck explained as he looked at Rob and smirked.

"The guys were beating me up because I came to school with new clothes and all that. My family had been well off and I guess the other kids didn't like it." Rob added. "So Beck stepped in and saved me. Since then, he always had taken care of me in school and kept the idiots away from me. He was well liked and they stayed away from me when he was there."

"That was nice from you." Tori said as she looked at Beck. She glanced at Jade and noticed her looking at Beck with a small smile.

"Well, wait until you hear how he helped me." Adam said, getting everyone's attention." I've lived on the street since I was six and always somehow managed to take care of myself. Be it stealing food out of the stores or doing some random jobs here and there. Still, when I was eight, I found myself in a bad situation. I hadn't had anything to eat for days and the jobs weren't there at that moment. And out of all things ice cold rain also decided to fall that day and all I had to cover myself was an old, ripped jacket and some old newspapers. So I was sitting on someone's doorstep, freezing my ass off when I saw someone walk in front of me. The kid had been my age and held an umbrella over us. When he asked me why I was sitting outside during such lousy weather I explained that I had no home and the rest of my situation. So for no reason, the kid told me to come to his place, at least until it stopped raining. As much as I didn't want to at that moment, I really had no choice. So for a few days, I stayed at his place, ate his food, wore his clothes and slept in the most comfortable bed I had in my life until then." Adam said.

"You slept on the floor." Beck added with a chuckle.

"I rest my case." Adam answered. "After a few days, I took off a few days later, but he insisted on at least taking one of his two jackets. Still have it to this day. Who knows if I would have survived without him." Adam finished with a small smile.

Beck smiled at the memory. With a small act he had earned a loyal friend who always had his back. He glanced at Jade quickly and noticed the small smile she gave him.

"Well, finally my story." Andre announced, everyone now waiting for his. "A few years ago, nine years old me walked to the grocery store to get some things grandma asked me to get. She was about to make my favorite dinner and asked me to go to the store a two blocks away to get a few things. Little did I know that in that store there would be three sixteen year old guys who didn't really like the skin of my color. As I was walking home, they followed me and then grabbed me and dragged into a small alley. They proceeded to beat me up rather badly. I tried to defend myself, but there were too many of them. Then, at one point, I saw this guy" he said pointing at Adam" and this guy" pointing at Beck" tackle two of the three down and starting to punch them. While the third guy tried to figure out what the hell was going on, Rob broke a small bottle over his head. While he was wincing in pain, I got him down and we gave them a nice beating. We ran off as quickly as we could before more of them could come and after a few minutes of running, we stopped at my place. Luckily for me, they were walking back from school and met Adam on their way home. For whatever reason, they decided to help me even tough I've never met them before." Andre finished.

"Well, Beck saw what was going on and ran off first. Adam and I followed and the rest you heard." Rob added. The girls turned to their respective guys, asking them about more details about certain aspects.

"I got one question." Beck heard Jade whisper into his eyes.

"What is it?"

"Can we go for a walk?" She asked with a small smile, her jewel like eyes hopefully looking at him.

"Sure." He said with a smile. Both got up and excused themselves, leaving the restaurant.


	8. Walking and talking

Beck led Jade out of the restaurant into the empty streets of LA. They walked for a while, not saying anything. The silence never was awkward tough.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know our double date would turn into a eight man deal. I really didn't know Adam and Rob would be there." Beck apologized. It was true, the guys didn't plan this. It was pure coincidence coming from the fact that Cat convinced Adam to take her there and Rob got another date.

"It's alright. I'm glad I saw them again. It has been a while since I really talked to any of them." Jade explained.

"Well, now you saw them again. They both are doing fine, so you didn't miss out anything bad."

"Who was that redhead with Adam?" Jade asked suddenly. "She seems to be really nice."

"She is. It's a long story, but Adam saved her from a pimp years ago and since then she's been living with him. He turns into a softie when she's around." Beck said with a smirk.

"I'd never thought that he liked such type of girls. I also never thought that Robbie would become a womanizer."

"I don't blame him. After all those years where the ladies only made fun of him, he now enjoys his popularity. Was about time. He deserves it." Beck said.

"You really are close to them."

"Mhm. I always see us as brothers in a way. We are always together. We do our jobs together and we work like a perfectly oiled machine because of that. I guess you and Tori are somewhat like that."

"You could say that. I love her as if she was my sister. Since… my mom got killed, she's been my support. I probably would have gone crazy if she hadn't always been there and taken care of me. I owe her a lot." Jade explained. Beck noticed how she was rubbing her arms slowly. He figured her jacket was not enough. He took of his coat and placed it around Jade's shoulders, imitating a cape.

"Wha…" Jade tried to say when she felt the material on her shoulder, but Beck cut her off.

"It's cold outside and I don't want to you get sick." Beck said, a small smile always present on the edge of his lips.

"Thanks." Jade said shyly. He surprised her more every minute she spent with him. "I've heard now how you met the guys, but what about you? What's your story?" Jade asked him. She looked at him and noticed him sigh. "I'm sorry, if you don't want to…"

"It's okay. But if I tell you my story, you have to tell me yours." Beck answered.  
"If your story is interesting enough, maybe." She said with a smirk.

"I was born in Canada. My parents were poor as hell. My dad was a drunk and my mother worked three part time jobs to keep at least some food on the table. I've seen her get beat up so badly by him that she had to go to the hospital more than once and make up some bullshit excuses to why she was all beaten and bloodied. She either fell down the stairs or whatever crap she managed to come up in a short time. It lasted for years, and I wasn't spared either. My oldest memory is my father beating me down with his belt one night when he came back home from a bar and saw me getting some sweets that late at night. When my mother tried to stop him, he beat her up too. It lasted for a few years, her working her back off, him drinking all the money away and me trying to keep him away from mom however I knew." Beck said, a sad sigh escaping his lips. Jade looked at him, feeling bad for making him remember those things. She put her arm through his, linking them, and immediately noticed a small smile forming on his lips. He continued.

"One day, I came back from a friends place. I noticed that something was wrong, I don't know how or why. I just had that feeling. I went upstairs and opened all the doors until I came to their bedroom. The door was half open and when I looked inside, I saw my mother sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands as she was crying her eyes out while my dad was lying in the bed, a large knife stuck in his chest. He had tried to beat her up again, so she locked herself in the bedroom and took a knife to keep him away. When he broke through the door and tried to get her, she stabbed him in the chest. He bled out in the bed. I wasn't even mad at her. I still am not. The police came later and arrested her for murder. They gave her a twelve years sentence for homicide. After four years, they found her in her cell. She had made a makeshift rope out of a blanket cover and hung herself. My only relative was my uncle who lives here in LA with his family. He took me in, but I didn't want to be close to anyone, so he gave me the RV. Since then, I live there. It's parked in front of his house, so I still am close to them." He finished. Jade had to keep her jaw from dropping, not expecting such a story to come from an eighteen year old guy who she at one point thought was just another cocky bastard.

"Wow, I'm sorry… I…"

"It's okay. I had many years to think about it. It's okay now." He said, feeling the familiar pressure on his chest. He hadn't talked about it for years, but he would let a tear escape him now. Not when he was with Jade now, having the chance of a lifetime. "What's your story?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Alright. I'll tell you." She said, taking another deep breath before she began talking." My dad had been in this mafia business even before I was born, so money never really was an issue, especially since he became a capa or something like that. Naturally, I was completely spoiled, my parents buying me anything I want. Kid's outside didn't tease me or anything because they knew who my dad was and in school the teachers never gave me a bad grade. After a while, it got boring and I wanted to be like the other kids, you know. I always loved the piano. My mom bought it for me one Christmas and I taught myself how to play it. But one day, eight years ago, when we went grocery shopping, a car drove past us and someone began shooting out of it. I froze in place and only remember my dad on the floor, shooting back at them from his gun and my mother lying on the floor, blood coming out of her chest. They had hit her instead of my dad. Just a month earlier he lost his best friend, Robbie's dad in a similar way. He jumped to check on my mom. I only remember blood everywhere. On her, on him, his hands, the floor. When they finally called the ambulance, it was already too late. She was dead. Since then, I've been more silent. I've really distanced myself from everyone, even my dad. The only person I couldn't do that to was Tori. She never let me. During mom's funeral, she didn't leave my side. Since then, she has been like the older sister I never had. She really is protective of me, and I'm grateful for that. For eight years now, on every anniversary, when my dad forgets it, she either comes to my place or I go to hers and she stays with me for a while, just to make sure I wasn't alone and had someone to talk to if I needed to." Jade finished.

"I noticed. The way she always looked over at you to see if you had fun. It's good to have someone who cares. That's how the four of us always are to one another. Since we were kids, one of us gets beat up; the other three go and fight back. One of us needs money is owes money to someone; we get as much together as we can, even if we have to steal it. Andre's grandma is sick; Rob, Adam and I go to his place and help take care of her. Adam had nowhere to stay during a stormy or cold night; one of us takes him in as long as we can. I get into trouble with someone, Andre and Adam would go and fight the world if necessary. We screw up with work, and Rob figures a hundred ways out how to save our asses from your dad's wrath." Beck explained, finishing the last part with a chuckle.

"I hope we can hang out more often." Jade said.

"I would love that. I think Tori had fun too. She and Andre couldn't stop talking to one another."

"True. She seems to like him." Jade said.

"Freeze, both of you!" Beck's and Jade's attention shifted to a man in front of them. He was wearing an old, brown jacket and a cap, holding a gun in front of him and aiming for the two. Beck felt Jade's grip on his arm stiffen. He looked at the guy and the way he held his gun.

_While most people would crap their pants out of fear in such a moment, it wasn't anything new to me. The guy was an amateur, every wiseguy could tell. He was holding his gun clumsily and his eyes showed hesitation. I figured he was some poor sucker who needed a quick buck and didn't know any other way to make one. _

"Get your hands up and don't make a sound." He said again. Jade's arms immediately shot up while Beck raised them slowly. He observed every move the guy made.

"Now, give me your money." He said, fiddling with his gun between the two.

"It's in my pocket." Beck said in a calm tone. Jade looked at him as if he was crazy. Why was he so calm when the guy could shoot them any moment?

"Then slowly take it out and give it to me." He said. Beck slowly began lowering his hand, before, in a quick move Adam had taught all of them, he grabbed the gun, twisted the guy's wrists painfully and yanked it out of his hand before the guy could even react. Now, Beck has holding the gun, the robber and Jade looking at him as if he was a ghost.

"Sorry, pal, you went after the wrong couple." Beck said before hitting the guy in the face with the handle of the gun, making him bleed immediately and knocking out a tooth. The robber screamed in pain, holding his hand up on his bleeding mouth.

"Now, fuck off." Beck said in a calm, yet intimidating voice. The guy ran off, almost tripping over his own feet before turning at a corner.

Beck carried the gun over to a trashcan before throwing it inside. He didn't want to have to deal with the cops right now. He didn't want to make Mr. Vega more trouble already.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a soft voice as he walked towards Jade. He saw her fear filled face. "It's okay, he's gone." Beck said as he put his arm around her shoulder. "I'll take you back to the restaurant so we can go home. Come on."

They walked back in silence, Beck gently rubbing Jade's arm and shoulder while she tried to keep herself from crying. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the restaurant.

"What happened?" Beck heard someone yell. He raised his head to see Tori running towards them, immediately grabbing Jade's shoulders and pulling her into a hug that Jade immediately responded to by hugging back and burying her head into the crook of Tori's neck.

"Dude, what happened?" Beck heard Andre's voice as he saw his friend walk to him.

"A guy tried to rob us, but I took his gun and pistol whipped him." Beck said. Both Andre and Tori immediately understood.

"It's okay." Tori whispered to her crying cousin. The four walked to the car and got in. Tori sat down with Jade in the back while Andre was driving and Beck sat in the passenger seat. The only sound heard in the car was Jade's crying and Tori's calming words. When they finally arrived at Tori's place, Jade had somewhat calmed down. The guys got out with them and walked them to the door.

"I'm sorry that happened. I shouldn't have…" Beck started, but he was cut off when Jade turned around and hugged him around the neck.

"It's okay. It was my idea. Thank you for saving me." Jade said before she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He hugged her back, a wide grin appearing on his face.

"I had a great time too. I hope to see you again." Tori said as she gave Andre a quick hug too.

"We'll see each other again, I promise." Andre said. The girls said goodbye and went inside while Andre and Beck walked back to their car.

"Thank god Adam showed us how to take a gun from someone." Beck said as he sat down in the car.

"Why were you there anyway?" Andre asked him.

"She wanted us to take a walk and I said sure. Everything went so well until that jackass showed up. We talked, she seemed to open up and then we only hear "freeze!"" Beck said in an annoyed tone. "At least she's fine. A bit scared, but fine. How did you and Tori go?" He asked.

"I swear man, that girl is perfect. We love the same type of music. We have the same sense of humor. And she even said that she could kick my ass in a fight. Now I'm interested." Andre said with a chuckle, Beck laughing with him.

"Let's hope the next date won't have such an incident." Beck said.

In the Vega's house, the girls were getting ready to sleep. Jade was lying in the bed while Tori came back from the bathroom.

"Are you okay now?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, don't worry. Just got scared when I saw the gun." Jade said. Tori lied down on the large bed, turning to look at Jade.

"So? What do you think about Beck?" Tori asked with a small smirk.

"He seems unreal. He told me about his past and… just wow. I want to get to know him more." Jade said, looking at Tori.

"Well, looks like we'll have to go on another date with them." She said with a smirk. Jade smiled up too.

"I like that idea."


	9. Will you be my girlfriend?

_Honestly, the last two month I feel as if I'm in paradise. On cloud nine if you will. The supposed mob war was nowhere to be seen, the rackets made great money, the warehouse was like city bank to us, the guards tipping us off about money, jewelry and other profitable deliveries. The truck drivers came to us now instead of us coming to them. Business was never better. But that wasn't even the reason I feel like I'm in heaven. No. The real reason is that in the last sixty days, two passed that I haven't seen and spent time with the raven haired, emerald eyed beauty called Jadelyn West. Jade and Tori had basically become members of our small group, hanging out with us almost every night. Andre and Tori especially hit it off. When he wasn't spending time with her, he would constantly talk about her. Looks like I'm not the only one who got a spell put on. And while Rob just laughs at us and jokes that it's the end of our freedom, Adam only mocks us for mocking him because of Cat and now doing the same thing he did. But they can mock as much as they want. I was more than happy with how things went. For example now, Jade and I are currently at a nice place with the others. Andy, one of the other wiseguys, had a nice bar that was like three minutes away from Jade's house and since it was still to early for us to leave, he gave us the key to the place and told us to lock it down when we went home. _

Adam was standing behind the bar, taking up the role of the bartender this time. The place was almost empty, except for the gang minus Rob, who was outside talking to someone on the phone.

"Adam, bring us another bottle." Andre called from one of the tables. Beck, Jade, Andre and Tori were sitting at one of the tables while Cat was sitting on the bar and talking to Adam.

"Right away." Adam answered as he took the bottle of red wine and brought it to the table. They didn't waste a second as they filled their glasses and emptied them equally quickly.

"I have to admit, you girls can keep with when it comes to liquor." Beck said with a smirk. Jade and Tori chuckled proudly.

"Well, when you've been through what we have, drinking becomes a hobby." Jade said. Tori only nodded before filling their glasses again.

"If you keep up like that, it's going to be an expensive hobby." Andre said.

"Screw it, it's all on me. I'm happy now." Beck said, leaning back on his chair and taking a long inhale of his cigar. "And since I am really happy, I want to celebrate. Adam, another one!" Beck yelled.

"If we keep up like this poor Andy won't have any liquor left." Andre joked.

"You are not too far off." Cat said as she brought them the bottle and sat down next to Tori, who put her arm around the smaller redhead. They all were tipsy by now.

"You know Cat, you are the nicest person I've ever met." Tori said. "You need to hang out more with us."

"Thanks." Cat said with a small blush.

"No, I really mean it. I don't think there is a single person here who dislikes you." Tori said. "Am I wrong?" She asked, looking around the table.

"Absolutely not." Jade answered first. "Tomorrow, we girls are hanging out together. Only us, without those goofs here." Jade said with a smirk, Tori and Cat giggling in response.

"How charming." Rob said as he passed by and walked to the bar.

"You talked to Sam?" Adam asked him.

"Yes I did. Here are the teams he told us to bet on." Rob said as he placed a piece of paper on the bar.

_Rob, Adam and gambling. It was a hobby of theirs that also proved rather profitable since they met Sam, one of best sports handicappers in the country. Every week, Rob would call him and get the safe bets, and damn it, they haven't lost a bet for three months now. _

While Adam and Rob continued their banter about sports and bets, Jade leaned over and whispered something to Beck.

"Can you take me home?" Jade asked.

"Drunk already?" He asked back.

"No, you goof. I'm tired and I want to sleep. Now take me home." Jade said as she got up. She hugged Tori and Cat before reminding them about girls night tomorrow and left with Beck.

Once outside the bar, Beck took Jade's hand and began walking towards her house.

"Are we a couple now?" Beck asked her out of nowhere. All this time, they hadn't really talked about it. They were enjoying each other's company too much to bring it up and possibly ruin everything. But Beck slowly grew tired of it.

"I don't know. Do you want us to be?" Jade asked him as she looked up at him hopefully. Just then, they arrived in front of Jade's house. They stood in front of the door as Beck took both her hands and looked at her, laughing out loud every now and then because of the alcohol and how cheesy he was. Jade laughed herself. It almost looked like a proposal to her.

"Alright. Jade West, are you going to be my girlfriend?" He asked, looking at her with what he wanted to be puppy eyes.

"Hm. I don't know." Jade teased with an evil smirk. A pout slowly made its way on his face.

"Alright. I'll be your girlfriend." She said before throwing her arms around his neck and closing the distance between them. Beck smiled into the kiss, feeling as if a dream had just come true for him. After a few minutes, they separated, air becoming an issue finally.

"I can't be happier than I am now." Beck said, giving Jade the warmest smile he could conjure. And it was true. Right now, he felt like dancing and singing his whole way home.

"Neither can I." Jade told him before kissing him again. He cupped both her cheeks as he deepened the kiss. They stood there for what only seemed seconds to them before the front door opened. They both quickly stepped away one from another when they saw Mr. West standing there, seemingly shocked at what he just saw.

"What is going on?" He asked.

"Um. Dad, Beck and I are together now." Jade said with a smile. Her smile faded once she saw that he didn't react at all.

"Beck, can I talk to you in my office?" Mr. West asked before he walked back into his house and towards his office. Jade only looked at Beck with a worried expression as he followed Mr. West inside.

_That moment, my happiness left me in a heartbeat. I didn't think he would react that way. Until now, I always thought he liked me. After all, I was one of his "boys" as he called us. But now, I was afraid for my life. I was afraid of walking inside and getting a bullet between my eyes. I only hoped that I hadn't gotten myself into more trouble than anyone could get me out off._

"Mr. West, I…" Beck started, but Roy cut him off.

"So you and my daughter?" He asked. Beck only nodded. "Do you mean it? Are you serious with all this? Because, Beck, you know there are only two things that matter to me: my business and my daughter."

"Mr. West, I am. I…" Beck said.

"You are a smart young man Beck. I must admit." Roy said as a smile formed on his face. Beck relaxed immediately. It was a good sign. "You see, I've always looked for a successor, and since I never had a son, it was hard for me to deal with it. For a long time have I looked for someone who could take over where I am going to leave off. I know I won't live forever Beck, and I don't want my empire to crumble and then get divided amongst others. And now, when I saw you and Jade, it hit me. The best person for this was working for me for three years now. Beck, you made a smart business decision." Roy said.

"Roy, I ne…" Beck tried to explain, but Roy only continued his speech.

"I mean, with this, I found myself someone who I know will take care of my daughter and is capable of continuing my work. A kid with your potential could climb within the family to a high rank. And who knows? Maybe one day you become the head of the family. You do have the potential to do so. And I would be more than happy if I was right. And if you and Jade end up together, you would be officially a part of the family. You could become made, I could arrange that. And then, the whole world is yours." Roy finished.

Before Beck could respond, the door flew open while a crying Jade stormed inside. Before anyone could say anything, Beck felt a hot sensation on his cheek that quickly turned to sharp pain. Jade had slapped him.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it! I thought you meant what you said!" Jade screamed at him.

"I did." Beck told her in a calm voice.

"The fuck you did. So this was your plan. The whole time you only wanted into this business. You wanted into it through me, didn't you? Good job. You played me well. I actually believed you were serious." Jade yelled before turning to her father.

"And you don't give a damn about me! You only care about your stupid business and your money! You even forgot mom's anniversary again! And now you want to give me to this liar only so you can leave your fucking business to him. Fuck you! Fuck you both!" Jade finished before she stormed out of the office and the house, ignoring her father calling after her.

Beck ran after her, following her onto the street. She was walking back to the bar, hoping that Tori was still there. She needed to talk to her. She needed Tori to calm her down. She needed a shoulder she could cry on.

"Jade, just listen to me!" Beck yelled, finally catching up to her.

"I don't want to hear any of your lies! Leave me alone!"

"I didn't lie! I was trying to tell your father that I didn't care about any of that, that you were what was important to me, but he wouldn't let me say a word!" Beck told her in an angry tone. She didn't even give him a chance to explain.

"I don't believe you! I hear all the stories! I know that you only care about yourself!"

That moment, the others walked out, having heard the yelling and recognized the voices.

"What's going on?" Rob asked, but the two didn't even acknowledge the presence of the others.

"I meant what I told you, Jade! I'm in love with you! Since I met you I couldn't stop thinking about you and now, until your father found us, I was the happiest man on earth because I thought you became my girlfriend!" Beck told her, trying not to yell, to stay composed. To stay calm.

"I don't believe a single word you are saying! You are a liar! You are..:"

_That moment a black car drove past us. I noticed it slowing down, my attention drifting away from Jade. The next thing I saw happening was that the back window was being lowered. _

Beck saw car almost stopping next to them. He threw himself in front of Jade, hugging her to his chest and shielding her with his body. Two shots were heard from the car before it sped off. The guys had thrown themselves to the ground, Andre shielding Tori and Adam shielding Cat. But Beck didn't have the time to do so. He only had time to jump in front of Jade.

Jade looked up into him, frightened from what just happened. Her eyes widened and her body froze when Beck only dropped to the ground.

_My vision turned black as I perceived a few things. I heard the guys yell after them, I heard Rob run to the phone, I heard Andre yelling at him to call the ambulance. I them all running towards me and calling my name, begging me to respond. To say something. But the last thing I hear out of all the voices was the beautiful voice of the girl I fell in love with as she yelled my name and begged me to say something to her. I wanted to respond, I wanted to tell her that I didn't lie. That I did love her. But I couldn't do it. All that happened was everything going black. Everything went silent. _


	10. Consolations

The atmosphere in the hospital's waiting room was completely chaotic. The guys were pacing around, Andre punching the wall while Adam and Rob were cursing every deity and entity they could muster up in their minds. They immediately knew who shot Beck. They knew who their enemies were. Dominique warned them about the Canaos ambition to start the war with their family and there were only two families associated with them LA. They wanted their vendetta to start as soon as possible. They wanted blood.

The girls, on the other hand, were a different story. Jade was completely broken down, weeping uncontrollably, claiming it was all her fault because she refused to listen to him.

"I stormed off without listening to him. I stormed off to the bar and he followed me. He wanted to talk to me and I didn't even try to listen. And now he… now he…" Jade didn't dare to finish the sentence, the moment bringing back old memories and opening old wounds.

"He's not dead Jade. The doctors are doing everything they can. He will make it." The crying Tori told her crying cousin as she walked towards her and wrapped her arms around her, trying to offer her devastated cousin at least some sort of comfort.

"But… but what if…" Jade said through her sobs, but Cat cut her off.

"There is no if. He will make it. He has to." She said, trying to help Tori calm Jade down.

"If he doesn't make it, I will kill them. Every…single…one…of…them!" Adam yelled; his hands turning white from clutching them. Cat walked over to him and put her hands on his, trying to calm him down.

"We need to go tell Roy first. Without his permission, we can't do anything." Rob says, anger poring out in his voice.

"Are you kidding me? I will choke the life out of each one of then when I see them!"

"We can't do anything without his permission!" Roy yelled back at Andre.

"I don't give a fuck about his permission! They shot Beck, and they will pay for it!" Andre yelled back.

"They didn't aim for Beck! They aimed for Jade!" Rob yelled, trying to keep his rational state of mind. "Don't you guys understand?" He asked, looking at both Andre and Adam." They want exactly this. They want us to react out of anger so we do something stupid. They wanted Jade. They wanted to make Roy do something stupid; to make a mistake. Only so can they get the advantage, and we can't give them that!" Rob yelled, taking initiative.

"I'm tired of this diplomatic bullshit that…" Adam began, but stopped as soon as he saw the doctor walk out of the emergency room. Everyone immediately ran towards him, bombarding him with questions, but one voice standing out.

"How is he?" Jade yelled at him, grabbing his by his collars.

"He's stable. Two bullets hit him in the left shoulder, breaking resulting in the fracture of the bone. He's lucky that you stopped the bleeding before the ambulance arrived." The doctor explained. Everyone let out a long sigh of relief, thanking life for not letting Beck slip away.

"Thank god." Jade said in a broken voice, the weight of the world having been taken of her shoulders.

"Can we see him?" Andre asked the doctor.

"He is asleep and needs to rest. You can come and see him tomorrow." The doctor told them before excusing himself and walking away.

"I will stay here." Jade said, getting everyone's attention. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

"I'll stay with you." Tori said, wiping away the few tears left on her cheeks.

"So will I." Cat said as she placed her hand on Jade's arm and gave it a light squeeze.

"Thank you." Jade said with a small, sad smile as she looked at both of them.

"I'll go and let Roy know what happened. Until I'm back, you two stay here and make sure no one comes to finish the job." Rob told the two enforcers. "Just for a moment stop and think about what I told you. You know that it's true. We can't do any mistakes now. Beck wouldn't have let us either."

"You are right." Andre admitted with a sigh.

"We'll stay here. Go, tell Roy what happened." Adam told him. Rob nodded before walking out of the hospital. He made his way to the car and sat down inside before punching the steering wheel and letting his stored emotions out. He didn't allow himself to do that in front of the others. He needed to stay rational. But now, at least for a short moment, he could allow himself to cry out of anger and joy.

The two were left standing in front of Beck's hospital room's door while the girls went inside.

The moment Jade walked inside, she saw Beck lying in his bed, his eyes closed and his chest slowly rising and lowering with every small breath he takes. She immediately remembered what happened barely hours ago. How he threw himself in front of her, knowing that he would be shot; that it could have killed him. Jade knew that he only survived by a miracle. That he only survived because the bullet didn't hit him a little bit more to the right. Her father didn't throw himself in front of his wife to protect her. He didn't throw himself in front of his daughter to try and shield her from the gunfire. Yet, each one of the guys did so, shielding someone they cared about. Beck protected her. Andre protected Tori. Adam protected Cat. Rob jumped in front of Adam and Cat just to make sure nothing happened to them. Jade realized that moment that they weren't liars. They weren't cold heated as her father was. She realized that Beck had told the truth the whole time. That he honestly loved her.

Tears again made their way down her cheek at the thoughts, quilt overcoming her. She wished the bullets had hit her instead of him. She wished it was her life that was on the verge instead of his. She felt a hand on her shoulder as she turned around and saw Cat standing next to her. Cat put a chair next to Jade's and sat down, wrapping both arms around her. She didn't say a word, and words weren't necessary. She learned that from Adam a long time ago. Actions always spoke louder than any words of any language. She let Jade cry her tears out silently. She knew that it was hard to talk about such things. She understood.

Tori watched the scene, a small smile forming on her face. Jade had surrounded herself with an nearly impenetrable wall, letting nobody in except Tori herself. But now, she slowly began to open up again. She slowly let people in again. She allowed them to get to know the real her. And more importantly, she allowed them to comfort her when she needed it.

Tori slowly left the room, wanting to check how Andre and Adam were. She saw the two leaning against the wall with their head down.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked in a concerned voice. They both rose their heads, just enough to look at her. She walked over to Andre and wrapped her arms around his neck, knowing that he had almost lost his best friend. He hugged her back, holding back his tears as much as he could.

"It's okay to cry." Tori whispered to him. Andre let it go that moment, tears freely flowing down onto Tori's shoulder and neck. There was no doubt, the guys were all close. It couldn't have left them unfazed, no matter how much they try to act like it did. After a minute, they separated. Tori turned her head to look at Adam, who still kept a stoic expression. She walked in front of him, getting his attention.

"What about you?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Adam asked.  
"No, you are not." Andre told him with a laugh. "Sorry, man. But after all those years, I know when you are acting it out." He said as he wiped away his own tears. Adam let out a small chuckle himself.

"You are right. I'm not." He said, a single tear making its way down his right cheek. Before he could wipe it away, he felt two arms around his neck.

"Beck's lucky to have friends like you." Tori told him. He hugged her back for a moment, allowing himself that one moment of comfort.

"Thank you, Tori." He told her in a warm voice as they separated.

"Beck got what?" Mr. West gasped, Rob delivering the news to him.

"He got shot because he protected Jade. He took the bullets for her. He's stable tough." Rob finished.

"They…they tried to shoot Jade?" Roy asked, his voice shaky as his hands were trembling.

"Yes. And if it hadn't been for him, they would have succeeded." Rob said.

Roy flipped over his desk in anger, letting out a loud, primal scream filled with rage.

"I managed to calm Andre and Adam down so they don't do anything stupid. Any you shouldn't either. We can't make any mistakes, Roy. That's exactly what the Canaos want." Rob told him.

"I'll call Dominique and let him now. As soon as he takes the cuffs off, we will strike back." Roy told him.  
"Good. We need to stay smart. If we act out of anger, we are fucked." Rob said. Rob let out a laugh, looking at the young man.

"With every day that passes you become more like your father, Rob." Roy said, calming down slowly. "He would also always take control and stay calm when I would go crazy. It's what made us successful."

"I'm glad to hear that." Rob said, old memories coming up.

By now, Tori and Cat were both asleep on one of the sofas, Cat having sat down in Tori's lap so they could have enough space. Jade told them they could leave, but neither would. She looked through the glass of the door and saw that Andre and Adam were still standing there, talking about something. She walked back to her chair that was next to Beck's bed and sat down again, taking his hand into hers and giving it a light squeeze. She fell asleep a few minutes later, fatigue finally overwhelming her.

"I always knew it would happen one day and still…" Andre said as he looked at his friend.

"I know what you mean. The day went so well. We let our guard down. For one moment we let it down and shit happened." Adam said.

"At least Beck's alive. It could have been much worse."

"If it had ended up worse, neither you nor I would be standing here." Adam said with a small smile.

"No, we would be at one of their places raising hell and probably end up shot. Or in some Golero blood." Andre joked.

"You think it was them?"

"I do. I even have an idea who fired the bullets."

"If it was Pete, I'm going to screw his head off." Adam said. Andre only nodded.

"He knows where the hangouts are. That treacherous son of a bitch will pay, I promise you that."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure of that."

Jade woke up later, looking around and remembering where she was. She looked at the clock. It was six AM. She had slept for two hours only. Still, she was wide awake when she noticed that someone was giving her hand a squeeze. She turned her head looked at Beck. He was looking at her with his brown eyes, a smile forming on the edge of his lips. She almost broke again when she heard his voice.

"Thank god you're safe." Beck told her before she wrapped both arms around him and crashed her lips on his.


	11. Saying goodbye

Two weeks have passed since the attempted assassination on Jade and Beck saving her life. He got out of the hospital two weeks later, still having to wear a sling to support his left arm. Dominique still had to give them an answer about what they should do and the whole family was slowly getting impatient. On the other hand, the West residence has been fortified, always at least forty men guarding it twenty four/seven. A truck was parked in front of the gates, not allowing entrance to anyone the six guards didn't check.

"If Dominique doesn't finally give us the green light, I will go rogue. And I know at least twenty more guys who would come with me." Andre said, looking right at the Capo.

"I don't know what's taking Aldo so long to make the call, but I'm fucking impatient myself, Andre." Roy told him, annoyance and anger steaming out of his voice.

_Aldo. His name almost never comes up, but when it does, it's serious. After all, the head of the family only steps in when it's absolutely necessary. If he was keeping the cuffs on us, there really was nothing anybody could do. Not even Dominique. I've never seen Aldo, but in our world, his name is as feared as the boogeyman is by kids. _

"Are you guys sure it was Pete?" Beck asked, leaning on a wall of the room, his long coat hanging over his shoulders.

"Who else would it be?" Rob snarled. "You took over his business. You did his job better than he did. He left for the Golero's because he got jealous of your work."

"The assassin wasn't aiming for me tough. He was aiming for Jade." Beck said.

"Roy gave you all his jobs. Don't you think he has a grudge on him too?" Adam asked.

"And how do you harm a man who is untouchable?" Rob began.

"Go after his child." Beck finished with a sigh.

_I just didn't want to believe that it went this far. Yes, Pete, the guy who I more than provoked when we took over the Hotel; the guy who threw us all a great party when we took over our first racket. He taught me a lot when I first came in. I guess he didn't expect the student to outdo the master that quickly. But it was only business, at least from my view. I guess to him it became personal. He left the family after they wouldn't kick me out. He joined the rival family and held a grudge for years now. Still, I never believed he would go that far. _

The door opened that moment, as everyone in the room immediately shifter their attention to the familiar face that entered the room.

"Hi guys." Theodore said as he walked inside and took of his sunglasses. "Dominique sent me with a message for you all. It's war. By tomorrow, go for the safe houses. Say goodbye to your wives, kids, girlfriends, mistresses, whatever you have." He explained. The guys looked at one another, a nervous expression mixing with a small share of relief.

"How's your arm, tough guy?" Theodore asked, looking at Beck.

"Not useful for another month. But I got my right hand for holding my gun." Beck told him.

"Good. You earned a lot of respect for what you did. Even Aldo was impressed." Theodore told Beck, whose eyes grew wide at that statement.

"Uhm, thanks." Beck said nervously, noticing Roy smiling a wide smile at Theodore's words.

"Any assistance from the family?" Roy asked.

"I'll stay in LA and make sure nothing goes out of control. Now what you guys need to watch out for are a lot of things. Check your cars every time before you get in. We don't want a car bomb going off. One should always stay awake and keep guard. You never know if they find out one of the locations. Go in groups, you don't want to be outnumbered and then caught. They will do anything to get some information out of you. And when they do, many of us die. Your friends. Your family. And then you." Theodore finished.

"What about David and the Vega's?" Andre asked.

"They won't go for a police chief when they are in war with us. They couldn't handle a mob war plus a war with the police." Roy explained.

"Tell that to your men Roy. I have something to take care off." Theodore said before he nodded to the guys and left the room. They stood there in silence for a minute, taking in all information they had just received.

"Go and get ready. Grab the things you need and say goodbye to whoever you need to. Tomorrow, we will meet here." Roy said. The guys nodded and went outside. They got into their car and drove off, not saying another word the whole ride. Andre dropped them all off at their respective homes, dropping Beck off last.

"Are you going to say goodbye to Tori?" Beck asked him, speaking up for the first time the whole ride.

"Yes. Why?" Andre asked.

"Jade is staying there from now. Can you pick me up before you go there?" Beck asked him.

"Sure. I'll be at your place around eight." Andre told him.

"Thanks. See you later." Beck told him as he got out of the car and into his RV.

In the meantime Adam walked into his apartment and dragged out a big case which he began filling with clothes and few other things he would need in the safe house. He checked his guns and shotgun and placed them into the case with some ammunition under his clothes.

"Where are you going?" He heard a small voice ask him. He turned his head to see Cat standing at the doorway. He knew that this moment would come, but it didn't help at all. He would have to break her heart now.

"The war started. I'm leaving tomorrow morning." He said in a cold voice.

"W-when are you coming back?" Cat asked in a shaky voice. Adam stopped right in his movement. He took a long breath before turning around and looking at the redhead. Her eyes were already filling with tears.

"I don't know." He told her, not as coldly as before.

"A-are-are you coming back?" She asked, her voice trembling under the urge to cry.

"I don't know." He told her in a warm voice now, looking down at the floor.

"So you are leaving me." She said. It were the words he didn't want to hear. "You too." She said as silent tears began running down her cheeks. Adam dropped what he had in his hands as he walked over to her and hugged her to his chest.

"I won't leave you here by yourself. You will stay with Tori and Jade." He told her.

"W-what?" She looked up at him, the tears still flowing freely down her cheek.

"You will be safe with them. They won't go to Tori's place, that's for sure. You won't be alone and you will be safe there." He explained.

"I…I don't want to be a burden to them too." Cat said in a sad, conflicted tone.

"You are not a burden to anyone. It was Jade's idea and Tori immediately said yes. Andre told me a few days ago. I just… didn't want to bring it up until it was necessary. I wanted to postpone…this… as long as I could." He told her. "Come." He said as he picked her up and carried her over where the kitchen was. He put her down and crouched down where one of the cabinet's was. He removed a few of the boards and revealed a hidden stash. He took out piles of money and placed them on the table. Cat looked at him confused, not knowing what was going on. When he took everything out, he placed the boards back and turned around to look at her.

"This is all I have managed to save up in the past years. I want you to take it, and if anything goes wrong, it will keep you over water for quite some time." He told her.

"Adam, I…" She wanted to protest, but he didn't let her.

"Listen to me. You guys are everything I have in life. The day I saved you from that dumb fuck of a pimp was the best thing that happened to me because I got you. If anything happens to me too, I won't allow history to repeat itself. I won't allow you to end up on the streets again. So please, take it and stay safe." He told her. She nodded before she wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips onto his. He kissed her back, feeling even worse for possibly abandoning her too after everyone else in her life had.

"Just come back to me." She told him after the kiss.

Beck was waiting outside of his RV for Andre to pick him up. And not long after that, Andre's car parked into his driveway. Beck got inside and with some struggle put on his seatbelt.

"Sorry I'm late; had to find someone who would take care of my grandma while I'm gone." Andre explained.

"Did you find someone?"

"Yeah, a nurse will take care of her. Wasn't cheap, but that's not the issue anymore."

Andre reversed out of Beck's driveway and drove towards Tori's place.

"Are you nervous?" Andre asked him.

"Terrified." Beck told him honestly.

"You know you don't have to go. With your arm you could stay here and…" Andre began, but Beck wouldn't have any of it.

"You think I'm going to sit somewhere after they tried to kill Jade? You really think I'm going to let you; Rob and Adam go by yourselves? How long do you know me Andre?" Beck asked in a serious voice. Andre let out a sigh.

"I didn't mean it that way. I… things have been going so well for you… for all of us. I can't stand the idea of one of us dying there, man." Andre explained.

"Neither can I. But while it's the four of us, we can prevent that from happening. We watch each other's backs and we make sure that each one of us makes it home. You make it home to your grandma and Tori, Rob makes it home to his mother who would break apart if she lost her only son too, Adam makes it home to Cat and I make it home and can enjoy spending my time with Jade." Beck said.

After a few minutes, they arrived at Tori's place. Both got out of the car and walked the familiar walk towards the house. Andre knocked and barely few seconds later, the door opened and he felt two arms around his neck and a crying Tori burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"Tori? What…" Andre began, but Tori answered for him.

"You are leaving tomorrow. You all are." She cried out. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Tori…" He wanted to say something to calm her down. He wanted to tell her that he definitely would come back. But he didn't. He couldn't lie to her. All he could do now was hold her until she calmed down, even if he had to do it until the last minute.

Beck walked inside the house to give the two some privacy. When he walked inside, he immediately saw Jade sitting on the couch, her hands covering her face and her body trembling. He walked over to the couch and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I…I almost lost you two weeks ago, and now you are leaving me again." She said through her sobs.

_I didn't know what to say to her now. For possibly the first time in my life, I didn't what to say. I didn't know what I could do now. So I sat down next to her and hugged her with my healthy hand, pulling her as close to me as I could. She hugged me back, her grip tight and desperate. My shoulder began to hurt, but I didn't care. I only wanted to find a way to comfort her. But there was none. Not this time. _

Andre and Tori walked into the house, sitting down on the other side of the couch themselves.

Silence filled the room as both men held their girls. No words were said until Adam and Cat arrived. When they entered, they immediately understood what was going on.

Adam looked down at Cat, hoping that she wouldn't break down again, but she didn't. She stayed strong this time.

"Hey." Tori greeted them as she got up and hugged them both. "Are you okay?" She asked Cat as she wiped away her tears.

"I'm fine. We already… got over with this." Cat explained. It was true. She cried the whole afternoon until an hour ago.

"That's good. We are going to have some fun until they come back. Us girls." Tori said in a shaky voice.

They all stayed there until one AM, when the guys had to leave. They all hugged and kissed their girls goodbye. Beck sat down into Andre's car and looked one more time at Jade, trying to remember every detail about her, just in case. He only hopped that it wasn't the last time he would see her.

They drove off and the girls were standing at Tori's doorway, Tori and Cat holding the sobbing Jade, uncertainty and fear surrounding them.


	12. 4 Months later

Four months passed since the guys left for the safe house. Tori was walking into her house from the grocery store, having bought something to eat and drink. She hopefully had waited every single day for any news, but there never were any. The guys didn't send letters or any type of messages. They never stopped over for a moment to tell them that they are alive and well, or at least alive. Tori was worried about all of them, especially Andre. She had kissed him for the first time when the day before he left. Now she regrets that she hadn't done it earlier. That she hadn't used the time they had together for more than just hanging out. Sure, they had some sweet moments together, but it never led to anything. She was careful and he had never forced her in any way.

Tori closed the door behind her and carried her bags to the kitchen where she put them on the table. She looked trough the back door and a sad frown formed on her face. Cat was sitting outside on a park bench they had in their garden, like she had every day for four months now. Tori opened the sliding door and walked outside, placing both hands on Cat's shoulder. She grew very fond of the redhead, Cat even telling her and Jade about her father's death and how her experience on the streets of LA until Adam got her away from there. It broke Tori's heart that a nice, almost angelic person like Cat had to experience something like that. She also respected Adam even more for what he did.

"You alright?" Tori asked in a soft voice.

"It's been four months, Tori." Cat said in a sad, shaky voice. Tori's chest tightened at that response, immediately understanding what Cat was implying to.

"If something had happened to them we would know, Cat." Tori tried to comfort her, but she didn't believe it herself. Truth was, she heard her father talk about all the car bombs going off in LA in such a short time and how many shops got broken. It didn't go without casualties. But whenever she asked him about the guys, he walked away without telling her a single thing.

"Or they are waiting to tell us until it's over." Cat responded.

"Cat…"  
"I'm just scared. I see how you and Jade are feeling because of Andre and Beck. But you've known them for maybe three months before they left. I've known Adam for two and half years, Tori. For two and half years I've spent every day with him. I fell asleep every night in his arms. I woke up every morning and saw him get up to leave. Every night I saw him come back to bed and hug me to himself. I hoped it would stay that way for good, you know. He's the only one I got. If I loose him, I got no one left Tori." Cat said as silent tears made their way down her cheek.

Tori sat down next to Cat and wrapped both arms around the redhead, letting Cat lean her head on Tori's shoulder. She didn't know what to tell her. Cat was right about everything. If it was so tough for Tori and Jade, who met them seven months ago and spent with them only three, the pain Cat endures must be inhuman.

"You still got us, Kitty." They heard a voice behind them. Tori turned around and saw Jade standing behind them, her arms crossed over her chest.

"How long have you been here?" Tori asked, not letting go of the crying Cat.

"Long enough." Jade said as she slowly walked around the bench and sat down next to Cat herself.

"Cat, you are like family to us. We won't let anything happen to you until Adam comes back." Jade said as she gently rubbed circles on Cat's back.

"W-what if he doesn't come back?" Cat asked through her tears.

"It doesn't change anything. Whatever happens, we will go trough this together." Jade told her.

"T-thank you!" Cat said as she moved away from Tori and leaned into Jade's embrace. Jade hugged her tightly; glad that she could repay Cat in a way.

Truth was, all the girls had their moments where they would break down, and Cat was most often the one who calmed them down. She would listen to them and let them cry until they had no tears left or calmed down. The girls supported one another, because otherwise, they would have fallen apart.

Tori looked at her cousin. Jade's eyes were red themselves. She had been crying too not to long ago, that was for sure.

"Let's go make something to eat." Tori said, trying to distract them all from what had been constantly on their minds.

"Kay." Cat said as she moved away from Jade's hug and wiped away the rest of her tears.

The girls walked inside and began placing the groceries in the cabinets. When they were done, Jade turned the radio on and went to the fridge to come up with an idea what they could eat.

They set for chicken and mashed potatoes, finishing it after a while and eating it on the couch while listening to the radio and talking about random things.

Just as Tori carried the dishes to the sink, there was a knock on the door.

"Who's that?" Jade asked.

"Maybe dad's home earlier and forgot his keys again." Tori answered as she walked to the door and opened it. Before she could say a single word, two strong arms wrapped around her and hugged her for dear life. A moment later she recognized the dreads and skin color.

"An-An-Andre!" She yelled as she hugged him back. Jade and Cat both jumped up when they heard Tori yell Andre.

"Hey girl. Missed me?" He asked her. She gave him the answer by crushing her lips onto his. He smiled into the kiss and kissed her back, having missed the half Latina more than anything in the past four months.

"Hey Jade. Hey Cat." He said as he walked towards them and hugged them both. They gladly hugged him back.

"Where-where is…" Jade began, but someone cut her off mid sentence.

"Right here." She heard the familiar voice. She turned her head to the door and saw Beck standing there, his arms rose, signaling that he wanted a hug. She ran towards him immediately, almost tackling him down as she buried her head into the crook of his neck. He hugged her back, resting his head on top her hers.

"Y-y-you…" Jade began, but was at a loss of words. Beck decided to help her, putting two fingers under her chin and raising her head before gently kissing her. He pulled apart a minute later, looking right into her blue green tear filled eyes.

"God, you are beautiful." He said before kissing her again, wiping away the few tears that made their way down her face.

Beck noticed Cat standing there, almost breaking down. He smiled a bit as he put his again healthy arm around Jade's shoulder and walked towards Cat. He gave her a quick hug before he spoke up.

"Go pack your things, Adam will be here any minute." He told her with a smirk while a wide smile appeared on her face. The others saw the biggest rock fall of her chest as she ran up immediately. The sound of a door opening was heard before it was shut again.

Beck smiled at her actions before looking back at Jade, who was crying again. He leaned down and gently closed the distance between them. He caressed her cheek with one hand and hugged her close with the other. After a minute, they both pulled away, their faces still barely apart.  
"I missed you." He told her. She hugged him and rested her head to his chest, thanking god that he was back.

"W-where is Robbie?" Tori asked, not leaving Andre's warm and safe embrace.

"Adam is driving him home. He wanted to see his mom as soon as possible. Don't worry. He's fine." Andre explained. Both Tori and Jade let out a sigh out of relief. They all made it and were seemingly unharmed. Beck's arm even fully healed.

"Uhm, so, did you guys win?" Jade asked awkwardly, not knowing how to approach the subject. She regretted it immediately when she saw them both frown immediately. Something must have happened.

"We did, but it came with a price." They heard a familiar voice from the doorway. They turned around to see Adam standing there, a new scar visible over his left eye.

"Adam!" The girls said as they walked over to him and hugged him too. They decided not to push the topic yet, seeing how it made everyone uncomfortable.

His eyes shifted towards the stairs where a certain redhead was standing, tears again forming in her eyes. Ha walked towards the stairs while Cat ran down them, leaving her luggage at the top of them before jumping into Adam's arms who playfully spun her around.

"Y-you came b-back." Cat stuttered, a shaky smile on her face, conflicting between tears and happiness.

"Did you really think I would leave you?" He asked with a smirk. She shook her head before hugging him again around the chest. She immediately pulled away when she heard him groan out of pain.

"W-what's wrong? And what is…" She asked in a concerned, scared voice, pointing at the scar on his eye.

"A bullet strafed me not too long ago. Still stings a bit." He said as he held his left ribs. "And this, well, I didn't see one guy having a knife. Luckily he missed a bit." Adam said before he cupped her cheeks and kissed her.

"So, you aren't leaving again?" Cat asked, the girls awaiting their answers.

"Nope. We won. It's over." Andre said.

"And I think we should celebrate. We are taking you out tonight. It's been a while." Beck said.

"Well, I'm going to my place. I need some sleep." Adam said as he took Cat's luggage and both left, not before hugging the others goodbye.

"We should go too. I can't wait to see my grandma." Andre said.

"Yeah, I need some sleep too. So, see you girls tonight?" Beck asked.

"Sure. Can't wait." Jade said, a wide smile cemented onto her face. She was happy that they all were alright, that the nightmares and fears didn't become true. Jade turned around to see Tori standing there, tears flowing down her cheeks while a wide smile was on her face.

"Thank god they are fine." Tori said as she raised her hand to cover her eyes, her shoulders beginning to tremble.

Jade walked to her cousin and wrapped her arms around her, understanding how Tori felt. After all that happened, something ending well in their life was only a fairy tale. But now, maybe things finally changed for the better. Or at least it's going that way.

**AN: If you want a good read, I would suggest Lullaby by BlueWolfLeader. It's an amazing Jori story that for some reason doesn't have a big amount of reviews. So if you want a great read, give it a shot. **

s/8148152/1/Lullaby


	13. Vacation?

_The last four months changed us. It wasn't hard to see. I matured a lot, my cockiness replaced with clear, unbreakable confidence and the will to do anything to achieve my goal. My social skills improved too, since I seem to have built a reputation amongst the families. But honestly, it wasn't anything I cared for._

_Adam didn't change much, the only real difference was that he had even less empathy for anyone that wasn't part of the family or group while only bonding and caring more for the ones that were. Hell, I saw him watch one of Cat's pictures every morning before we went out and every evening before he went to bed. He had it the worst of us, always cautious and not taking any risks so he could go back to her. _

_Andre got a bit calmer. His temper stayed in check no matter what situation. I noticed it when we were talking about him and Tori. The small smile he always carried when he talked about her gave him away, but it wasn't as if he was trying to hide it. He was in love, and I couldn't blame him, I was in love myself. _

_Rob was a completely different story. He seemed to have unlocked his full potential in the past four months, working like a machine. He found out every single detail necessary. He made sure all the informants in town were in his pocket and he used them to play a little game of chess with the other families. He knew where their places are, who was guarding it, how many of them were guarding the place, where the doors were and even found out which weapons they had with them. But his crowning moment came when we decided to pay an old friend a visit. It was just in the beginning of the fiasco we called war. _

The four stepped out of their car and looked at the bar they were standing in front of.

"You sure they are here?" Andre asked Rob, who looked inside of one of his black notebooks.

"Yes. Pete got made earlier today and now he and few others here a celebrating it." Rob explained.

"He got made for not killing Jade?" Beck asked.

"For killing you." Rob told him with a smirk.

"What?" Beck asked, his eyebrows rose as he starred at him in confusion.

"You would be surprised what you can do with a few bucks and informants." Rob said, seemingly proud of himself. "I told the rats to spread the word that you died in the hospital. Did it the next day you got shot. Good thing is that you stayed at home after that. They bought it."

"Rob, you are an evil mastermind." Adam said as he opened the trunk of the car and took out three shotguns and four pistols. He handed everyone their weapons, Beck having to deal with only a smaller firearm since his other hand was still useless.

"Let's crash the party." Beck said as they began walking towards the bar. They knocked on the door. One of the guys opened, drunk as hell, but his expression sobered up the moment he saw Andre standing in front of him. Before he could even cry for his mother, Andre knocked him down and out with the back of the shotgun, a loud cracking noise heard as the guys skull cracked on impact.

The other Golero guests looked at the door, freezing in their spots when they saw the four standing there, armed to the teeth.

"No…you are…you should be…" Pete stammered, leaning on the table out of fear.

Without saying another word, the four opened fire, gunning down everyone in the bar except the staff that was hid under one of the tables. The others didn't put up any resistance, both too drunk and too scared to even reach for their guns.

After a few minutes, they were out of targets, having gunned down at least fifteen Golero's. Beck turned his head to see Pete lying on the ground, holding his sides, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Beck walked over to him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I don't care that you tried to shoot me. But you made one bad mistake, Pete. Nobody, and I mean nobody, puts my girl in danger." Beck said in a cold voice before placing another bullet right between Pete's eyes, killing him on the spot. They left the bar immediately, throwing the guns into the trunk of the car and speeding off.

_They started the war, and we hit them back ten times harder. In the past four months, I lost count to how many bullets flew right next to me, how many punches connected to my face and how many deaths we've caused. But that is what happens in war. It wasn't personal. It was only business. _

Beck parked his car in front of the Vega house and got out of the car. He walked over to the door and knocked, waiting for a few moments before Jade opened the door. She greeted him with a warm, wide smile. His eyes met hers again, reminding him how much he missed her in the past four months. He hugged her to his chest and placed a long, gentle kiss on her forehead.

"You two ready?" He asked, not removing his lips.

"Mhm." She only mumbled, enjoying his warm touch as if it was the greatest thing in the world. To her, it actually was. After all the thoughts and ideas of him never coming back, his closeness was the only thing she wanted.

"Aww" They both heard someone utter. Beck chuckled while Jade shook her head with a small laugh. "Where's Andre?" Tori asked, noticing that her boyfriend was missing.

"He will come there a bit later; he took his grandma to San Diego. She wanted to see her niece again so he drove her." Beck explained. A disappointed smile formed on Tori's face.

"Don't worry; we'll entertain you until he comes." Jade said as she took Tori's hand and they walked to Beck's car.

They drove to one of the restaurants, the car filled with comfortable silence. After a few minutes, they arrived as they got out of the car and walked to the restaurant.

"He will be here, stop being sad." Jade told her cousin as she rubbed her back.

"I'm not sad. I was just thinking. For the first time, things didn't get screwed up. It didn't end in a catastrophe." Tori said with a sigh.

"For example?" Beck asked as he put his arms around the two.

"Except my mom… Aunt Holly has some type of bone disease. She is mostly in the hospital." Jade explained, not wanting Tori to struggle with the words. It was easier for her than for Tori.

"I didn't know." Beck said as he gave Tori a gentle squeeze.

"I didn't know either." Tori turned around when she heard Andre's voice. He was standing behind them, flowers in one hand.

"You… you're here." Tori said with a small smile as she noticed the roses he had in his hand. "Are those…"

"For you." He said as he handed them to her. He wrapped both arms around her, kissing her gently when her eyes met his.

"Aww." Jade uttered with a smirk. It did it's job, it made Tori laugh.

"Okay, I won't do that again. I promise." Tori told her cousin. Andre smiled too; glad that Tori's mood is better.

"Let's go in. I want to have fun." Beck said as he and Jade walked inside, Andre and Tori following them. They walked to the best tables on the restaurant, sitting down on the double sized table that had enough room for eight people. They sat down and ordered the drinks.

"You guys want to talk about what happened… you know." Tori asked, looking again nervously at them.

"It's not a pretty story." Beck told her.

"It could have ended worse." Rob said as he sat down on the table with them.

"No date this time?" Andre asked.

"No. I want to relax." He said with a smirk. "And to answer your question Tori, there used to be twelve of us in the safe house. By the end, we were the only ones left." Rob said in a serious voice. He waved to someone and a moment later, Adam and Cat joined them, both smiling and laughing. Once they sat down, they noticed the mood on the table wasn't as bright as theirs.

"You are talking about the war?" Adam asked. When they nodded his mood fell too.

"You sure get scared when people around you die." He said.

"By the end, when there were only four of us the last three weeks… We said goodbye to one another every morning." Beck explained.

"You can imagine how glad we were when all four returned every night." Rob added.

"And you can't imagine the fright when a bullet actually strafed Adam. We thought it really hit him. Luckily, we were wrong." Andre finished.

"Hey, scars from bullets are cool." Adam said with a smirk.

"Hell yeah they are." Beck answered back with a chuckle. Both earned a slap on the arm from Jade and Cat.

"Now please, enough about the past four months. Let's just relax and have a good time." Adam told them as he filled his glass with wine. Everyone agreed and the mood became more relaxed not too long after that.

"Just remembered, Roy wants to see us tomorrow. He said it was important." Rob told them.

"Does he already have another job for us?" Beck asked in an annoyed tone.

"No. Screw that. I'm taking a vacation." Andre said.

"So am I. Two weeks at least." Adam agreed.

"Make it a month for me." Rob added.

"I guess the next one is retiring." Cat said, making the others laugh.

_I missed those moments. Cat is laughing at something Rob said, Andre and Tori are making plans for tomorrow, Adam looks genuinely happy after a long time and Jade has a small, yet so genuine smile on her face. I couldn't believe that it actually ended so well. _ _We came back alive and it was almost as if nothing changed. As if. Little did I know the consequences this victory would have._

"Did you miss me?" Jade asked me out of nowhere. They decided to go for a walk instead of going straight home. The last time they went for a walk, it ended up badly.

"More than you can imagine." Beck told her honestly. She stepped in front of him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him closely. She wanted to savor the moment, remembering how often she told herself she would not let him go again both in the hospital and while they were gone. Beck cupped her cheeks before kissing her, enjoying every moment of it. He missed the warmth of her lips. He missed the passion evident in every one of their kisses. After all those years of switching girls almost daily, he never believed a single pair of lips would satisfy his hunger. He wasn't even in a hurry to get her into bed. It didn't matter to him. Of course, when that moment comes he can only imagine how it would make him feel.

"Why did you wait for me?" Beck asked her, deciding it was her turn to answer his question. She didn't answer immediately, seemingly getting lost in her thoughts. After a few moments, he got an answer.

"You are worth waiting for." She told him with a smirk. He smiled back.

"You're damn right I am." He said as he kissed her again. "When I take some time off, are you coming with me?"

"Hm… I'll have to see if I don't have other plans." She told him as she bit back a laugh when he looked at her confused. "Of course I'll come with you. But it better be a nice place." She told him with a smirk.

"I'll think of something." He smiled, before he realized he was hungry for her lips again.

Cat had a wide smile on her face, lying on the bed in Adam's arms again after so long. It wasn't the same without him. She barely had been able to sleep, feeling lonely without the familiar warmth of his arms securely holding her. She looked up, seeing the scar on his eye again. She traced it carefully with her tip of her fingers. The idea of him almost getting shot in the chest. They almost got him. They almost took him away from her.

"Uhm." Adam mumbled as he woke up, shutting his eyes tightly for a few moments, trying to fix the blurry vision. "Hey. Can't sleep?" He asked as he looked at the clock on the nightstand. "You alright?"

Instead of answering, she first leaned in and kissed him, enjoying every second of it before she pulled away and rested her head in his chest.

"I'm perfect." She said as she closed her eyes, smiling again when she felt his arms around her.


	14. Made men

_Seven am and I'm already awake again and in the car with the guys. We are driving to Roy's place, since he wanted us there. I won't do another job at least for a month, and there is nothing he could do to change my mind. Fuck it, we deserved a break. The four of us were responsible for winning the war in LA. I don't want to deal with rackets and tribute collecting now. Let the morons who don't do anything take care of it for a month. It's not hard. Arrive, collect, deliver to Roy. _

The gang arrived at the West house, noticing the few bullet holes in the walls and some broken windows.

"You can tell that it's over. It was a fortress not a week ago." Andre said.

"True. There used to be at least forty men guarding this place." Adam added.

They made their way inside, noticing the rest of the family, the ones who survived, in the large living room, talking and laughing about and at anything. They finally walked up to Roy's office, before Rob knocked twice.

"Come in!" Roy yelled from the other side of the door. Rob opened the door and walked inside first.

"Roy, please tell me you didn't call us for tribute coll…" Rob stopped the moment he saw none other but the underboss of the Family, Dominique, standing next to the table, leaning on the wall. "Dominique?"

"Hi there. Glad you could make it. I know it's early, but there is a lot of business to do, and this can't wait anymore, guys." Dominique said in a serious tone. The gang entered, confused, was looking both at Roy and Dominique.

"Why are we here?" Beck finally spoke up.

"Please, take a seat and be patient." Roy told them. They all sat down, wondering about what was going on. After a few minutes, Andre decided to tell him what everyone thought.

"Roy, look, we've been working for years now, and after the last four months and what happened, we really would appreciate some time off. Just to…" Andre began, but he was cut of when the door opened and Theodore walked in.

"Are they here?" Dominique asked his personal bodyguard and best friend.

"They are. Just drove them here. They are talking to the guys downstairs." Theodore answered. "Hey there." He said as he greeted the boys. "How's the eye, big guy." He asked, looking at Adam. They got to know Theodore more in the past four months. They helped him with quite a few things, including the grand finale.

"It's alright. The scar doesn't hurt anymore. Now, would someone be so nice and tell us what the fuck is going on?" Adam asked, slowly getting annoyed by what was going on. His annoyance only grew when Theodore smiled before walking to take a seat on the couch in the corner.

Beck let out a long sigh, thinking about getting up and just walking away and taking Jade somewhere where they could relax. His attention shifted to the door when he saw a tall man in his mid fifties who must have weighted three hundred pounds walk inside the office. He had a serious expression on his face, not nearly as relaxed as Dominique always was.

"Paulie, where the hell is Aldo?" Dominique asked, a little hint of annoyance in his voice.

"A-A-Aldo?" Beck stuttered. Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that name.

"Now you ruined the surprise." Roy said as he looked at the underboss.

"I hope you didn't mind waiting. Had to see how the guys downstairs were." They all turned to the door when they heard the voice. By the door was standing a tall, very slim man who resembled Dominiqe in some ways. He wasn't nearly as muscular as Dominique, but he had the same bright blue eyes which seemed to pierce into everyone's soul. The guys stood up, not believing that they were in the same room as the head of the family.

_Aldo Trapani, the big boss himself. I didn't believe to see the man in my lifetime, but there he was, standing in front of us. We all were left speechless. Here was the man who took over the world, when he was barely older than us, under the noses of the old timers. He was even more intimidating that Dominique, which I didn't believe was possible. He didn't look strong, but his face read many battles and his stare had such an intensity that you couldn't look him in the eyes for too long, scared of breaking down from it. His walk and posture was so confident and secure. His presence made you only feel weak and unimportant. _

_The big guy who walked in before him was Paulie, the family's main lawyer and personal advisor to the Boss himself. _

"So those are the four you two couldn't shut up about?" Aldo asked as he looked at Roy and Theodore. Both men nodded in response. Aldo walked towards the boys, stopping right in front of them. "I've hear a lot about you, but why don't you introduce yourself?"

"M-my name is Robert Shapiro." Rob said nervously. Nobody blamed him.

"So you are the guy who handles information and finances. I've heard how you played the other families with false information. Brilliant work Robert. He reminds me a lot about you, Paulie. He could be a great consigliere one day." Aldo finished as he turned his attention to Andre. "Who are you?"

"Andre Harris." Andre said in a calm voice.

"So you are the guy who took out old Mavano and his three capos. My respect. A Don is nothing without a good soldier." Aldo said as he turned his attention to Adam. "Who are you?" He asked.

"Adam O'Neil." Adam answered.

"Did Simon give you that scar?" Aldo asked.

"Yes." Adam answered.

"So you killed really killed Canaos personal bodyguard with your bare hands while he had a knife." Aldo said as he nodded with a smirk. "The scar suits you well. Let me tell you two something, the enforcers are the spine of the family. I would be nowhere without those two gorillas having my back and making sure no one gets to me. Keep up your important work." He said as he looked at Adam and Andre. He finally turned his attention to Beck.

"Then you must be the Beck Oliver."

"Yes, I am." Beck answered in a serious tone.

"I heard what you did. You killed Golero, his underboss, his capos and a few soldiers. You took over eight of their rackets in a single day, after you stormed one of their bars and gunned down fifteen of them, all while you had your arm in a sling for over a month. I've also heard how you took a bullet for Roy's daughter. I respect men like that. We have to take care of our ladies, don't we?" He said as he stepped away.

"After everything you guys have done for the family and because Roy and Theodore wouldn't shut up about you four, I've talked to my brother and my advisor. We made a decision." Aldo said. The guys looked between one another, finally seeming to get the idea what was going on.

"Wait. You don't mean we…" Andre began, but stopped, not daring to finish his thought.

"We are here because we want to promote you to soldier status in the family. We want you to be made men." Paulie said.

_My brain stopped working for a moment there. We were about to be made. It was a wiseguys dream to be a made man. That means you are officially a part of the family. That means you are untouchable and can do whatever the fuck you want as long as it isn't bad for business. The only ones who can talk over you are the capos, the underboss, the consigliere and the boss himself. That meant that only a handful of people would be higher than us in the pecking order. _

"You guys are now made men of the family and are under my personal protection from the law and from the other families. Nobody can fuck with you and you can fuck with everybody except your superiors. You also won't be doing tribute collecting anymore. No. You will now get to take care of the important jobs. Also, you can start your own business at will, without asking for permission. The only thing you have to do is pay your usual tribute to the capo. But comparing to everything else, that really is a small price, isn't it?" Aldo finished and the gang nodded in excitement.

"That's all for now." Aldo said as he and Paulie walked outside. As soon as they were out, Roy jumped out of his chair and hugged each one of his boys.

"I'm so proud of you four. You made it. We all now really are family." Roy said with the widest smile in the world.

"What are your next plans?" Dominique asked as he patted them on the shoulders.

"Vacation." Beck spoke up first, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Smart decision. Take a month off for now and go relax somewhere. A good rest keeps the brain sharp. And just to let you know, now that you are soldiers, we will do business more often. See you around." Dominique said before he walked outside himself.

"That's it guys. Enjoy your time off." Roy said before he sat back down. The guys walked outside, all trying to contain their excitement. To all of them it was a dream come true.

"We going somewhere together or by ourselves?" Andre asked.

"I see you fuckers every day since I am ten. I need a month off from you." Rob said with a smirk.

"I'm taking Tori somewhere exotic. Maybe Hawaii." Andre said as he drove. "You know; big beaches, nice weather and Tori in a leaf skirt and coconut bra." Andre said with a wide smile.

"Great idea. I think I'll take Cat to Florida. Just relax somewhere away from LA for a while." Adam said.

"I'm going to Vegas. Always wanted to see that place and how it works. Maybe I'll find a way to make an extra buck there." Rob said.

"Where will you take Jade?" Adam asked Beck.

"I'll think of something, don't worry.


	15. Rather lovely thing

The plane landed in the desert that was now the city that never sleeps. Rob got out of the plane and walked into the airport, getting his luggage and ordering himself a taxi. Ten minutes later, the taxi brought him to his destination. He got out of the car and gave the driver a nice tip. He walked towards the casino, greeting the doorman on his way inside. He looked around in the casino before he found who he was looking for.

"Hey, Dominique!" Rob greeted the underboss.

"Hey, Robert." Dominique greeted him back as he walked towards him and shook his hand. "I'm glad you came to Vegas."

"I am too. I always wanted to come here."

"Well, what do you say?" Dominique asked as Rob looked around.

"This is your casino?" Rob asked.

"Mhm. This is my baby. It was the first casino I invested in and it kept a spot in my heart. And it's making a lot of money." Dominique explained.

"I always wanted to know how these work. Maybe one day invest in one myself." Rob said as a casino worker took his luggage.

"He will carry it up to your room. It's on the house since you are family."

"Thanks Dominique."

"No problem. You want me to walk you around and explain the administrative part?" Dominique asked.

"I would love to." Rob said with a smile as they began walking.

"The most important thing in a casino is to see everything. Here, nothing happens without someone seeing it. Everybody watches everyone. The dealers watch the quests, which are playing against the casino. The box men are watching the dealers, making sure they don't try to snatch some money for them or make a deal with a player. The floor men are watching the box men for the same reason. The pit bosses are watching the floor men, the shift bosses are watching the pit bosses, the manager is watching the shift bosses, I'm keeping my eye on him and the cameras up there are keeping an eye on all of us. Nothing goes unnoticed. Also, up there in the rafters are former cheats who know every god damn trick there is on this planets." Dominique explained as the walked past few tables and he pointed the men out to him.

"Wow." Was all Rob could say. "What if you catch someone cheating?"

"The guards take him to the back room for "investigations". There, we take some measures to make sure they never try again."

"For example?"

"The hammer… the chainsaw… the nails… And if they are trying to do it again, we got the rat hole." Dominique said.

"Rat hole?"

"You place a rat on a man's stomach, place a something out of metal around it so it can't run away and then you heat it up. The rat has nowhere to go but dig a hole into the guy's stomach. Just when it's close to dig into his intestines, we pull the rat out and send him to the hospital. Until now, nobody came back after that treatment." Dominique said with a smile. "And there goes another one." He said as Rob watched guards drag away some man who was screaming that he was sorry. They walked to the table where who Rob figured out was one of the box men was yelling at a young girl was the dealer on the table.

"How the fuck didn't you notice him switching cards?" The man yelled.

"Wait, I know that girl." Rob said as they came closer.

"You do?" Dominique asked.

"Trina!" Rob called out. Trina turned around and her eyes widened when she saw the young man she hadn't seen since her aunt's funeral.

"What is going on?" Dominique asked the box man.

"She didn't see that guy switching cards the whole time." The man explained.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

"You know this guy?" Dominique asked as he pointed towards Rob.

"Y-yes, I do. I know Robbie. We are both from LA. He's been a friend of my family for years now." She said, trying to keep herself from crying.

"Well then, don't worry, take a few days off and catch up with him. He just arrived here and needs someone to show him the town." Dominique said, as the box man wanted to protest, but in the end kept his mouth shut. He knew better than to debate Dominique's decision.

"Okay. Thank you." Trina said.

"I'll see you later, Rob." Dominique said as he walked off with the box man, telling him to find another dealer for the night.

"I didn't know you are working here. I thought you were somewhere in a college." Rob said.

"I was, but I got kicked out. I didn't tell my parents. Tori knows but if my dad found out he would kill me." Trina explained.

"Why did you drop it?"

"One of the teachers was an old pervert who tried to force himself on me. When I beat him up he made sure they threw me out." She explained.

"I can't believe it." Rob said with a sigh. "What an asshole. Where are you staying?" He asked her.

"I usually stay in one of the storage rooms for the night. I started a few months ago here and I don't have enough money to buy a place, the hotels are too expensive and I can't go home." Trina said as she looked down, trying to blink away her tears. Rob took a step forward and wrapped both arms around her.

"You can stay with me while I'm here. Don't worry, we can figure something out." Rob said as he tried to calm her down.

"Y-you mean that?" She pulled away a bit to look at him.

"Of course. Come on, I still have to get to my room." He said as they went to the elevator. When they arrived, Rob realized that he was given the whole top floor.

"This must be the president suite or something." Rob uttered as he walked inside.

"They call it the emperor's suite. Here usually stay the billionaires that come from all over the world." Trina told him. "Cleaning this one up is a bitch, trust me."

"Won't he loose too much money if he let's me stay here?" Rob wondered out loud.

"No. They give this room away for free anyway. What they want is for the quests to gamble, nothing more." Trina explained. "Thank you for helping me." She said as he was standing on the balcony, watching the hot tub on it.

"No problem." Rob said as he looked at the city. The view was incredible as the lights of Las Vegas shined as bright as ever. It truly was an amazing place.

"I know I wasn't the nicest to you…" She began.

"Stop it." He said, not wanting to hear it.

"Rob, I really…"

"It's okay. It was years ago and I had already forgotten about it." He said in a serious tone. Truth was he hadn't forgotten. He had a crush on Trina when he was fourteen and asked her to be his girlfriend. It didn't end up well as she verbally crushed him in front of everyone there. He made the mistake to come to her high school. It was the event that began the change of the formerly shy, weird kid to a important, capable man who's potential is yet untapped.

"It's not okay. What I did was wrong and I'm sorry. I was that rich, immature brat and I wanted to look cool in front of my friends." She said with a sigh. "I felt bad after that, believe me. And now it's you who saved my job. That guy was going to fire me had you not shown up. I'm sorry." She said as she allowed her tears to finally flow.

Rob watched the broken girl. He had dreamt about this moment for a while, him being able to pay her back for all the ridiculing, all the insults, all the put downs. Here was his chance, and yet he felt bad for her. He didn't want to do it. He couldn't. _Maybe I've really changed._ He thought as he walked towards her and took her hands with which she had covered her face. He slowly moved them away to look at the crying girl.

"After all this time, all those years, one thing really hasn't changed. You still are so beautiful." Rob told her. She looked up at him, realizing how much he had changed too. Something overtook her that moment as she leaned in and pressed her lips onto his. He was surprised. Not that she kissed him. Not that he kissed back immediately. He was surprised that this kiss wasn't as empty as the ones he shared with the girls he had been in the past. He never felt anything with them but a way to show them how it is when someone uses you and then throws you away. But now, he felt something. It was different. And while he was here, he would make sure to find out what it is.

* * *

Hawaii was a beautiful place no matter what time of the year it is. Andre was glad he took Tori there. He sat on a chair on the porch of the house they were staying in while she was walking out of the water and slowly walking towards him. She looked as a goddess while she slowly walked towards him, swaying her hips seductively. She sat down on his lap and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you go swimming with me?" She asked him with a pout.

"We were swimming the whole day. It's not my fault that you love the ocean more than anything." He said with a laugh. It's true; they were on the beach that was a few yards away from the house since they arrived. The difference was that Andre only liked swimming and the water, while Tori loved it.

"I know, I know…" She said, still not removing her put.

"Alright. How about this? I'll take you out tonight, we'll find a beautiful place and have a nice time, and you smile again." Andre said. She looked at him for a moment before her pout got replaced with another smile.

"Alright. We have a deal." She said as she leaned in and kissed him.

The evening came quickly as Andre was waiting for Tori to finish dressing up. It took her forever and she didn't let him into the bedroom to see her. A part of him was actually annoyed for having to wait so long for her to choose what to wear, but another part knew that once he saw her, he wouldn't give a crap about waiting anymore.

Ten minutes later she walked out, wearing a knee long blue skirt and a white short sleeve shirt. Andre was wearing short pants and a t-shirt. They walked towards one of the beach bars where Andre ordered drinks. They sat down on one of the tables that was on the sand and enjoyed the beautiful view on the ocean. The waves were coming and going while the barmen lit the torches next to them, creating a relaxed and enjoyable mood.

"I love this place." Tori said as she got her feet up and rested her legs on Andre's lap. He dragged his fingertips along her perfect legs, leaving small traces with his fingernails and making her shiver every now and then.

"I knew you would like it. I love the silence. It's the opposite of god damn LA. I'm honestly hoping I could move one day to a place like this." Andre said.

"You don't like LA?" Tori asked.

"It's not that I don't like it. I just need to get away from it every now and then, you know."

"I do understand. Maybe one day you will. If you get any further in the business, you might be able to pick where you want to be."

"I hope so."

"Um, what happens now that you are a… made man?" Tori asked nervously.

"What do you mean?" Andre asked, surprised at the question.

"I don't know, are you going to be out of town the whole time or are you going to be too busy so that I won't be able to see you as often… I don't know. It just won't leave my mind since you told me what happened today." Tori explained. Andre let out a small laugh before picking Tori up and sitting her down onto his lap again, his arm securely wrapped around her waist.

"I don't care how much work I will have to do, I'll always find time for you girl. Don't you understand how much you mean to me?" Andre said. He noticed the blush on Tori's face. He caressed her cheek with his hand before pulling her closer and kissing her again, hoping to wash away all her fears and doubts.

"You mean a lot to me too. That's why I'm scared. I… guess I'm used to things going wrong in my life. My mom, my sister…" Tori began.

"Well, then get used to things going right from now on. I'll make sure of that." Andre said. She smiled up and leaned her head on his shoulder. They stayed there until the bar had to close down.

As they walked back to their place, they began talking about a possible future.

"Could you imagine me being a part of your life?" Tori asked.

"You already are." Andre told her, his arm around her waist to keep them close. She smiled up at his comment, but he could see that she was still not sure.

"But in the future. I mean, in a few years, us still being together. I'm afraid that you'll get bored by me after a while." Tori explained. "I'm not really an interesting person."

"Oh shut up. I've yet to have a single boring moment with you. It's the opposite. Every new day with you is even better than the previous one. Just stop worrying and enjoy the now. Let the future come and us figure out how to deal with it." He said as he picked her up and carried her the last few meters into the house. He carried her up to their bedroom before he let her down and kissed her again. Her mood seemed to be better then before, as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he kissed her against the door.

* * *

The sun was shining bright as Adam and Cat were walking through the streets of Tampa. The city was much quieter and in less of a rush than LA was. But the best thing they swore they saw was the white beach of Tampa bay. The white sand was amazingly beautiful both during the day and during the night.

"This is beautiful." Cat sad as she looked at the white sand. Adam looked down, noticing that she was taking her sandals off. He chuckled as he picked them up in one hand while the other one was still holding Cat's.

"Much better than in LA, isn't it?" he asked, smiling when he saw how much fun she had. "I thought about settling down here one day. Open a few restaurants or maybe a hotel." Adam explained.

"You don't want to stay part of Mr. West's business?" She asked him. He only shook his head no.

"No way. I mean, the money and all that are great but… I always dreamt about a normal life. I want to save enough money, get away from there and enjoy the rest of my life. I also want to offer you one where you don't have to worry about me not coming home because I got shot by another mob guy." Adam explained. He noticed her expression sadden.

"It's true. After the last four months, I would love if a day could go by without me getting the idea of you getting killed somehow." She explained. "I'm always thankful when you finally come home." She let out a small scream when he grabbed her by the waist and picked her up in the air before spinning her around a few times. She laughed as he hugged her to himself.

"What did I promise you?" He asked her.

"That you wouldn't leave me." She answered with a small smile.

"Exactly. I've come back from the war, I'm planning my future and I'm planning it with you." He said as they walked into one of the restaurants. They sat down on one of the tables as they waited for the waiter.

"What are you going to eat?" She asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe a steak and some potatoes." Adam said. After a minute, the waiter finally came.

"Good day. What can I bring you?" The man in his mid forties asked.

"I'll take the…" Adam said, but his voice was stuck the moment he looked up at the man. His hair was gray at some places and his face had way more wrinkles than he remembered, but he knew that man.

"Dad?" He said. He watched the man's eyes widen as he looked at Adam. He then seemed to recognize him too.

"A-Adam?" The man stuttered. He dropped the paper and pencil he had in his hand. Cat looked at them with a concerned expression, seeing how tight Adam had clenched his fist.

"Son, I thought you…" The man began.

"Were dead? Came close a few times. It's not easy when you are six years old and have to survive in LA." Adam said with venom in his voice. The man's expression saddened. Cat put her hand on Adam's, giving it a light squeeze. It worked as he relaxed a bit, but the anger in his voice and his face did not perish.

"We didn't leave you there without reason. Your mother and I had no way of surviving and especially not with you. It was too much for us to handle."

"I guess so, Jack. Where is she?" Adam asked. He didn't know why he wanted to see her. Why he even cared. But a part of him did. There still was a part of him hoping.

"She is here too. She works as the cook." Jack explained. "Do you want to see her?" Adam only nodded in response. Jack went back into the restaurant again as Adam sat there, his hands shaking out of anger.

"Adam…" Cat asked in a small voice. She was concerned. She knew his situation was different than the others. They didn't die or go to prison. They weren't killed. They haven't left him at an orphanage. They came with him to LA, left him in front of a store telling him they would be back in a minute and then never came back.

Jack came back with a women same age as him and a chef apron. When she looked towards Adam, she raised her hand to cover her mouth as tears slowly began to appear in her eyes.

"A-A-Adam." She said as she walked towards him, wanting to hug and kiss him, but he got up and stopped her.

"Sit down, Kelly." He said with a serious voice. She almost broke down at his reaction, but did what he said. Jack as down next to his wife while Adam sat back down next to Cat.

"You're looking good, son." Jack said with a small smile, but it was not returned.

"Let's make this clear, if I had known that you were here, I would have gone anywhere else. But now that I found you, I want some answers." Adam said in a calm voice.

"Whatever you want to know, son." Kelly said in a shaky voice, trying to hold back her tears.

"Why did you leave me, a six year old child who barely could wipe his own ass, all by himself in LA?" Adam asked.

"I already told you son, we had no way of supporting you and us. We came to LA because I hoped finding a job there, but I couldn't. When we were left without options, we only had enough money for two tickets left. I made a decision I knew would haunt me, and trust me son, it haunts me every day." Jack told him.

"And now you own this place?" Adam asked.

"Yes. I worked as a construction worker for fifteen years while your mother took every part time job she could find. We finally saved enough to open the restaurant and hoped making enough money to be able to find you." Jack answered.

"Have you tried earlier?" Adam asked them.

"We did. We came to LA a few times and asked for you, but we didn't find you." Kelly explained.

"Bullshit. I've got to know everyone in LA so that's a fucking lie you are telling me. Had you asked for me, someone would have known, trust me." Aadm said. Jack and Jill looked away in shame. They weren't prepared for this.

"I'm glad to see you ended up well." Kelly said.

"I did. I learned how to take care of myself out of necessity. I have a good life now. I got a job that pays well and I got a future. What about you two? You don't look to happy yourself."

"We are not. Times are more than tough. This place doesn't work as well as we hoped it would. We owe the bank five thousand dollars and we got two more months to come up with it somehow. If we don't, they will take both the restaurant and our flat." Jack explained with a sigh.

Silence filled the place as no one said anything in return. After a while, Kelly decided to break the silence.

"Adam, who is this gorgeous young girl with you?" She asked. Cat, knowing Adam didn't want to say anything, decided to speak up.

"My name is Catherine. I'm Adam's girlfriend." She said as she gave them a smile.

"Does he threat you well?"

"He does." She said as she took his hand, not wanting him to snap at his parents. "I don't know where I would be without him."

"I'm proud of you." Jack said as he looked at his son. "You are a better man than me, I can see it. I'm sorry, son. I wish it didn't end up like this."

"Let's get out of here." Adam said as he got up and walked out of the restaurant without looking back at his parents.

"He will be fine. Good luck with your restaurant. I hope you manage to get the money." Cat said sincerely before she walked after him. He was waiting a few feet away, looking at the ocean. She walked around him until she stood in front of him and saw that tears were running down his face. She wiped them away like he always did with hers before she wrapped her arms around his neck. Had never seen him cry before, so she knew it really hit him hard.

"They seem like nice people." Cat said.

"Yeah, they seem like that." Adam said as he swallowed his tears.

"Let's get back to the house." She said as they walked back. They didn't say anything, Cat knowing that he had to think about all this. She would wait until he decided to talk about it.

Later that evening, she fell asleep early. Adam looked at Cat, grateful to have her in his life. He put a blanket over her as he gently kissed her cheek. He walked into the bedroom where he took his case out under the bed and took some money out. He put it in a smaller bag as he walked back towards the restaurant.

Jack was talking with the guests while Adam assumed Kelly was in the kitchen, working. He walked towards Jack, who froze when he saw him. He didn't expect for Adam to come back again.

"Can I help you, son?" Jack asked in a weak, guilt ridden voice.

"Come with me." Adam said as they walked into the kitchen where Kelly was trying to keep up with the orders.

"I see it's a good day." Adam said.

"Mhm. But it's hard keeping it up." Kelly said.

"No one else working for you?" Adam asked. Jack only shook his head no.

"We can't afford any help." He explained. Adam took a deep breath before he decided to do it.

"I'm buying the place. How much?" He asked.

"W-what?" Kelly stuttered. This came out of nowhere to her.

"I'm buying this place. I'll take care of the bills and get more personnel. You run it your way, but send all the bills to me. I'll take care of it." Adam said in tone softer than usual.

"Y-you really mean it?" Jack asked in a hopeful voice. Adam opened the bag he had with him, revealing all the money inside.

"I have twenty grand in here. Should be enough. Just give me the papers to sign and we all can move on." He said.

"T-thank you." They walked towards him, but he stopped them before they could make any contacts.

"I'm not doing this to bury the hatchet. I will not forgive you for what you did, but I won't let you go down like this. Don't call me, don't contact me unless it's business. I want you to honor that one wish." He said. Jack and Kelly nodded sadly. Adam signed the papers, making him the owner of his first restaurant. He didn't expect it to make any money. He just wanted to help his parents out this one time.

He walked out of the restaurant with a small smile on his face. By chance he met his parents and got some answers. He realized they weren't evil people who didn't care. Life had just been too much for them and they never found a way to deal with it all. He walked back to his place where Cat was already waiting for him.

"You helped them, didn't you?" Cat asked him as he walked inside.

"I bought out the restaurant. I'll take care of their debts. Doesn't matter." Adam said. Cat walked over to him with a smile as she grabbed him by his collar and pulled him down for a kiss.  
"Why did you decide to help them?" Cat asked him, their lips barely apart.

"Had they not done what they have done, I would never have met you. So in a way, I do owe them a lot." Adam explained.

"I love you." Cat told him before she kissed him again. Adam picked her up and carried her to their bedroom as she leaned her head on his shoulder, glad that he did what he did.

"Kitty." He said.

"Hm?"

"I love you too."

* * *

Beck, I can't believe you took me to Venice?" Jade said as she and Beck walked through the narrow streets with Jade looking at every shop there was. Beck decided to take her somewhere away from the states. In the ended, he had to pick between Paris and Venice. Now, he was glad with his decision, seeing how much fun Jade had.  
"Best thing, Paulie has a house here, and he told me we could stay here as long as we want." Beck said as he let Jade drag him through the streets. After a few hours, they ended up in front of the Cathedral of St. Marco, the heart of the City.

"This is amazing." She said as she looked at it.

"Mhm. Amazing what we can build when we put our mind into it." He said as he felt her hug his arm and lean her head on his shoulder.

"I know. It's unbelievable."

"Don't forget that it's Carnival time in Venice. How about we go shopping for some costumes?" Beck suggested.

"Let's go." Jade said as they walked away. After a few hours of Jade looking for what to wear and Beck patiently waiting and joking about possible costumes, they were done. Both bought the traditional masks with the clothes, Beck buying a white one with stars on it while Jade bought a black one with a crescent moon on top of it. They walked back towards Paulie's place and got dressed, the festivals starting in a short time.

Jade, wearing a long black dress and her mask and Beck, wearing all white and his mask, walked amongst the crowd, every now and then stopping to watch some of the street performers. They had everything, musicians, magicians, guys who spit fire and even a life theatre performance of Dante's _Divine Comedy_. They set for that one, both big literature fans of that era.

Beck had another surprise planned. He led Jade away after a while, towards the water.

"Why are we here?" She asked. He glanced at his watch before smiling up.

"And… now." He said as a single gondola swam towards them. They sat inside of it while the gondolier began singing for them. They saw the whole city, going through the canals and watching the people have fun.

"I can't believe you did this." Jade said, a smile appearing under her mask.

"There is one more thing. Five, four, three, two, one." He said as he pointed towards the sky. The fireworks started, the colors perfectly complementing one another as the sky lit up for a few minutes. The gondola came to a half for them to enjoy the firework. Beck took of her mask before he took of his. He cupped her cheeks as he caressed them with his thumb.

"You are the most beautiful girl in the world. And I am the happiest because you are my girl." He said as he leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back immediately, blushing at his words. He always told her that she was beautiful. He always told her what he liked about her. And yet, it never lost it's effectiveness. She always felt as happy as she did when he told her the first time.

"And I am the happiest girl because I found you, and you kept coming back to me, from everything." She told him.

They got off the gondola as Beck paid the gondolier and made their way home. It was already late, but they didn't care. They enjoyed every moment together. When they were inside, Beck spun her around suddenly and kissed her again, before deciding to say the three words to her he hadn't said to anyone for a long time.

"I love you." He looked her right into her eyes, the dim light making them look greener than the usually balanced blue and green.

"I love you to." She said, a wide smile appearing on her face as she walked away from him, taking off her clothes on her way to the bedroom. She gave him one last seducing look and nodded him to follow. A wide grin appeared on his face. Not because he was about to her laid. It was because they both admitted something that they never did before to anyone.

_What can I say? I really am a lucky man. _

**A/N: I know, I know. Ridiculously long chapter. But hey, better this then me leaving you waiting every day to for a new chapter about them. Hope you enjoy it. **


	16. Back to business

The month went by quickly as the couples made their way home. Andre and Tori were the first one's to come back, bad weather ending their vacation in paradise prematurely. They were on the airport, waiting for Rob's plane to land and Beck's and Jade's to arrive ten minutes later. Adam and Cat would be home last, their plane landing in the afternoon.

"Do you see him?" Tori asked, looking for Robbie in the crowd of people that left the plane.

"Nope. But he has to come this way, so don't worry." Andre told her as he looked for him himself.

"I know but… Wait, is that…" Tori said as she noticed someone who she thought looked like Trina. "That's Trina! Trina!" Tori yelled as she waved to her. Trina noticed her, immediately running to Tori who she hadn't seen for months. Both hugged as soon as they reached each other.

"Trina! What are you doing here?" Tori asked.

"I came here to face the music. I couldn't stay there anymore." Trina explained.  
"So you will tell dad?" Tori asked.

"Mhm. I hope he will understand." Trina said as she sighed.

"Don't worry; I'll be at your side." Tori said as she put her hand on Trina's arm and gave it a light squeeze.

"And so will I." Robbie said behind them. Tori hugged him when she saw him.

"H-how did you two…?" Tori began.

"I've met her at the Casino I was staying at and decided to get her out of there. There is no reason for her to torture herself over there." Rob explained as Andre walked up to them. The friends hugged as they chatted a bit about everything.

"I didn't expect you of all people to pull something like that." Andre said, looking at him and Trina.

"I guess I did change for the better. I don't know, I met her there, we got to know one another better, she apologized for some things in the past and I… couldn't hold on to my grudge. I just couldn't." Rob explained.

"Are you two together now?" Andre asked him. Rob looked back at Trina, who was still talking to Tori, and smiled a bit.

"Looks like it. We had some fun over there in Vegas." Rob said with a smirk. "And after watching Adam for the past few years, I think I learned everything about relationships I need to learn."

"True." Andre said with a laugh.

After a few minutes of catching up, they were joined by Beck and Jade, who was more than surprised to see Trina standing there. Trina explained to her what happened while Beck caught up with his two friends and any news that were there.

"Look, when Adam comes back, I need to talk to you guys about something. It's important." Rob said as Beck and Andre nodded.

"Sure. The girls can have a girl's night out or something." Andre said with a shrug.

"Is it business or?" Beck asked.

"Big business. But I don't want to talk about it here, and not without Adam. We need him too." Rob answered.

"Alright. We'll meet at our usual place." Andre said as Rob and Beck nodded. They walked over to the girls, who were still asking Trina questions.

"Ladies, how about this…" Beck said, earning their attention, " we got some business to discuss tonight, so how about the three of you and Cat when she comes back have a girls night out or something?" Beck finished.

"Sure. There is a lot I have to tell them about." Jade said with a smirk. Beck chuckled at that response.

"And they say we guys got a dirty mind." Andre joked as they walked out of the airport towards his car.

The evening came quickly as Andre, Beck and Rob were sitting at their favorite bar. They were the only one's there since Andy had been killed in the war. His wife got the bar, but she contemplated on closing it by the end of the month. Still, Andre had the key and they promised to close it down when they were done.

After twenty more minutes of waiting Adam walked through the door, taking of his jacket while he walked towards the table they were sitting on. He greeted his friends as he sat down and sipped some whiskey into the empty glass left for him.

"Alright, I'm here. What business did you want to talk about?" Adam asked. Beck and Andre turned to Rob and motioned him to begin.

"Okay. Listen and keep an open mind. While I was in Vegas, I learned a few things about the business there and made some "friends". Amongst them is a guy who is an expert on narcotics. He can get us the best drugs in the country, and we can sell it here for a huge profit." Rob explained.

"Drugs? Where the hell did you get that idea from?" Andre asked.

"From hearing the profit made by distributing. We don't have to sell it on the streets. We can store them in the backrooms of some of our rackets and sell them off. We invest five grand, and make fifty just by distributing."

"Invest five, make fifty?" Beck asked, thinking he heard wrong.

"Exactly. The problem is getting them into the country. But here is the deal. One of his colleagues transports coffee by ships and trucks. The coffee smell is strong enough to keep the drug hounds blind to them. Every month, he can make a delivery to the warehouse. We open the crates, take out the bags and that's it."

"Sound's easy enough. But I'm not comfortable with the whole drug thing." Andre said as he shook his head.

"Why not?" Rob asked in disbelief.

"Number one, they catch us, we are fucked. That's not local police business, that's FBI business we are talking about. Vega's badge can't do shit once those guys begin tracking us down. Number two, if any of us start using any of that crap, it will be the beginning of the end." Adam told him.

"None of us will take any of it. We buy and sell. It's an investment like none other." Rob argued.

"And what if one of us does? An addict is unreliable. He does stupid shit. He becomes careless and in our business, we can't afford that." Beck told him.

"Guys, it's a business and will stay only business. Think about the money. And the best thing is, we will make so much the tribute won't even matter. Fifty for five. We'll make so much money we can take over LA by ourselves. You always talk about how you want to make enough to move away with Cat and live a normal life. Well, with this, you could speed up that process. In a few years, you would be there." Rob said, looking at Adam.

"What about you guys? Don't you want the same with your girls?" He asked, now looking at Andre and Beck. "We pull this off, and in five years we can built houses on the money each one of us will have. But to pull this off, I need you guys. I need you Adam for your street knowledge and the people you know there. I need you Beck for making the business deals and I need you Andre for making sure no one tries to screw us over. If we work together, this will be our ticket to the top." He finished. Silence filled the room as the others began to thing about what Rob had just told them.

_Honestly, I didn't want to do it. Drugs were something I had no clue about and I try to stay as far away from such things as possible. On the other hand, Rob always knew what he was talking about. He wouldn't come to us with such an idea had he not thought this over a million times and already planned everything out. He was ambitious, maybe too ambitious for his own good. I knew Roy would give us the permission once he hears the profit coming in from it. It was a risk, I knew that. But I didn't know then how high the price really was. _

"Alright, I'm in. But we need to keep it under complete control. No bullshit, no nothing." Andre said.

"I'm in too. But if anything goes south, even for a damn moment, we are stopping it. No buts, no nothing. One of us even assumes that the FBI is getting at our case, we are stopping it." Beck said. Everyone turned to Adam, who looked down, thinking about everything. After a few minutes, he let out a long sigh.

"Alright. I'm in. But I want to make things clear immediately. This is business, and business only. And I want to keep it a respectable one. I don't want to see it near kids; I don't want to see it near schools, or any such places. The moment I do, I'm out of here. The one's who can make their own decisions and decide to buy them; I don't give a fuck about. Let them lose their souls. Did I make myself clear?" Adam said. The others nodded.

"Alright. So this is final. Tomorrow, we tell Roy about the plan and can immediately get to work." Beck said. The deal was sealed.

The girls were all staying at Tori's place, enjoying the fact that David and Holly were gone for a few days again to take Holly to a therapist a few towns away.

"How the hell did you end up in Vegas?" Jade asked her older cousin.

"Once I got kicked out of the university, I looked for jobs everywhere. One day, I was able to get a free ride to Vegas and decided to take it. I thought that if I ever was to find work, it would be there. I was right, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be." Trina explained.

"Well, you were lucky that Robbie was there." Jade said.

"Yes, I really am. When I remember the things I did and said to him when we were younger… he could have made my life even more of a hell had he wanted to." Trina said as she shook her head in both disbelief and relief. "Now I have to figure out a way to tell dad about getting kicked out of college."  
"We'll figure out a way. It wasn't your fault that the old pervert tried to force himself on you." Tori told her.

"Why do you think that he will be mad? It wasn't your fault." Cat asked.

"Dad is like that. To him, everything sounds like an excuse. I guess the time in the police made him like that, even towards his daughters." Tori explained.

"Oh. Maybe the guys can talk to him. I could ask Adam…" Cat began.

"No. This is something I have to do, come what may. But thanks for the offer." Trina said.

"Don't worry, what's the worst thing he can do? Yell at you? Say that he is disappointed?" Jade asked.

"Kick me out of the house and disown me?"

"You can stay at my place. I barely stay there anyway. And if Rob really likes you, he can find a place for you and help you out." Jade said with a smirk.

"Finally there are four couples. It got tiresome trying to remember all of Rob's ladies." Tori chuckled.

" Let's hope it lasts longer than usually."


	17. Anniversary

_Honestly, at first, I was against that whole drug deal Rob offered. I didn't know much about it to begin with, but what I knew was not good in any way, shape or form. As Adam had said, once you go into the drug business, the FBI begins breathing down your neck. It's funny how they didn't give a fuck for a mob war where hundreds of people got killed and the property damage went up into the millions, but as soon as you touch the white powder, they go apeshit. But I can also see why. The money made from it was fucking unbelievable. In the first month we did this, the guys and I got twenty grand together and bought drugs in that worth. It was maybe four mid sized packs, barely two pounds combined. But Rob ended up being completely right in the profit part. As soon as word got out that we are selling, the demand went through the roof. In a matter of a day, we sold all we bought for two hundred and thirty grand. Over ten times more we've invested. You can only imagine Roy's expression when we told him what we were doing now. He began throwing a tantrum about it until Rob placed fifty grand on his table and told him that it was his share. His tantrum stopped immediately and we got his blessing and everything else he could give us. Naturally, the next month, we invested fifty grand, and made five hundred. It was too good to be true, but as the money grew, the businesses grew. We stored everything in Andy's old bar, which Andre bought from his widow, in multiple coffee crates hidden behind a fake wall we set up. It was a bitch to get to them when you knew where they are, so you can imagine how it is if you try to find it without having a clue. We found ourselves people who would sell the rest on the streets to the dockworkers, to the construction workers and even to local journalists. Cocaine was the number one drug in the country back then because it allowed everyone to go faster in a time where you had to be fast. It kept you awake, it kept you happy and it kept you going. You snort a line and you feel like a god damn animal. Of course, after a while, people want more, and that was what we wanted. They wanted it, we gave it to them. The only thing we wanted was the green paper they were willing to throw at us for the white powder. _

Adam and Beck were sitting in a back room of a restaurant with one of their customers. The eastern European man wanted to buy in large numbers and word on the streets lead him to the four made men.

"So how much for the package?" The man asked with a thick Russian accent, pointing at the one pound package on the table. He was wearing an expensive suit and had two giant men standing behind him.

"Thirty grand per pound." Beck told him. The men nodded in a way as if he was saying "alright".

"How many you got?"

"How many you need?" Beck asked back. The man lifted his suitcase on the table before opening it and turning it to Beck.

"I have six hundred thousand dollars here. Do you have twenty pounds?" He asked. Beck motioned towards Adam who picked up the sports bag he had with him and took out the packages.

"Here. Tell your friends and partners to give us a call if they need some too."

"And what if I'm not satisfied with it?" The Russian asked.

"You would be the first one." Beck told him. The Russians took the drugs while Beck and Adam took the money. They all walked out of the restaurant through the back door and headed towards their cars.

"Six hundred grand in a half hour meeting. Why didn't we do this earlier?" Beck asked.

"Because you and I know that it could cost us our heads." Adam told him in a calm, yet serious voice as he took out his and Beck's cut of the deal. He put his share in his jacket while handing Beck his and closing the case again.

"Come on. Everything we've touched has turned into gold. We are making more money than ever. You and I both earned a hundred grand each out of this deal. It took us months before to do this." Beck told him.

"I know, but still… I like to keep a cool head and stay down to earth. Call me a pessimist, but I'm only waiting for something to go wrong. It's just too good to be true." Adam said.

"I get your point, but still, as long as it's doing well, why hope for something bad?"

"It's not that I'm hoping for something bad… I got a bad feeling about all this, that's all." Adam told him.

"Look, I know you want to play it safe because of Cat, but I give you my word, if anything starts to even become worse, we will stop it. Don't worry." Beck assured him as he gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"You are right. As long as we don't make mistakes, there is nothing to worry about. And you are right about Cat, too. I don't want to scare her even more. She told me how she can't sleep until I come back home. I guess she shares my enthusiasm." He said with a chuckle. "Today's our three year anniversary."

"Wow, yes, today's that day. Three years. I hope Jade and I will last as long." Beck said.

"Why wouldn't you?" Adam asked him in a surprised tone. He had not heard any type of doubt in his friend's voice for a long time.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm a pessimist myself, but I doubt she wants to stay with a wiseguy. After everything she had been through because of this business and lifestyle, it wouldn't surprise me if she soon has enough of me. And I will be left with a decision I don't want to make." Beck explained.

"This life or her?" Adam asked. Beck only responded with a sigh and a nod. "Which one would you choose?"

_I didn't respond immediately. I couldn't. Here was a question I knew would come one day and I knew there wasn't a third option to it. Jade went through so much in less than twenty years because of the mob. She lost her mother, she watched her father slowly neglect her because of the business, she struggled every year when the date of her mothers death came and now, in less than a year, she witnessed me getting shot and living in fear for four months, not knowing if I would come back. I knew that she would get tired of it eventually. I knew she already was, but she's young, and she could take it. But one day, she won't be able to anymore. It isn't even a matter of time. I knew that if anything happened again, it would be it. I couldn't blame her. There is only so much a person can take. But then, I have to make a decision too. I owe this business everything I have now. I don't know what the fuck I would be doing now if it hadn't been for Rob introducing us to Roy. I would be a nobody. I would be working my ass off to be able to survive. And how could I switch to that lifestyle after this one? _

Beck parked the car in front of Adam's building without giving him an answer. Adam waited for a moment, understanding his friends struggle. He knew that Beck could take over the world if he put his head into it, but he also understood how it was when a girl meant more than the world. He didn't see it as a bad thing that Beck struggled. When Beck isn't immediately answering with business, it only meant that Jade was really important to him.

"You know what my answer would be." Adam told him before he got out of the car and walked into the building. Beck drove off, the thoughts not leaving his mind. He decided that he would get another opinion about it, and he knew where he would be able to find it.

Adam unlocked the door of his flat and walked inside as he took off his jacket. He took out a few stacks of money, his share from the deal they had made earlier, and walked over to the kitchen cabinet where he placed the money behind the fake wall. He looked at all the money stored there. It was a lot, but still not enough for what he needed.

"That's a lot of money." He heard Cat say. He turned around to see her standing next to the kitchen door, playing with the ends of her hair while she looked at him.

"Not enough for my plan." Adam said in a calm tone as he walked towards her and placed a long, gentle kiss on her forehead. After a few moments, he finally pulled away, looking right into her brown eyes.

"Happy anniversary." He said with a small smile. She smiled up herself as she wrapped her arms around his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder. He hugged her back, kissing the top of her head again for a long time. It was his way of showing affection. He would hug her protectively and then place a kiss on the top of her head or forehead.

"I can't believe it's been three years." Cat said, the memories of them meeting the first time coming back.

"I hope you enjoyed them." Adam told her with a small smile.

"I can't wait for the next years to come." She said as she leaned in and kissed him.

They decided to go for a walk as it was a beautiful night. They went to the beach, which wasn't as beautiful as Florida's, but still beautiful enough to create a great, romantic atmosphere.

"I've talked to Beck about Jade and this lifestyle. He knows he can't have both after everything that happened." Adam said.

"Jade loves him. She won't make him choose." Cat said as she held his hand.

"One day he will have to. After what Jade has been through, I can't see her reliving everything she had been through. Especially the mob wars part."

"You think that there will be more?" Cat asked him in a worried tone. The idea of reliving the four months scared her.

"I know there will. Not anytime soon, but in the future, there will. It's always like that. A family is on top, another one appears, slowly gains power, and at one point, the world stops being big enough for both. So one has to go." Adam explained. He saw Cat's expression sadden. It was the one thing he hated seeing. He hated seeing her sad. When he told her that he would be leaving for the war months ago, his heart broke when he saw her reaction.

"But before that happens, I will be out of the business, own a few places that make money and live in a big house close to a beach. And you, my dear Cat," he said as he stopped and cupped her cheek," will be with me." He told her. "As soon as I saved enough money, I will offer you a safe, peaceful and carefree life. I will make sure that you smile every day and that you never lack anything."

"I don't need all that. I don't need a big house or lots of money. I… I just want to know that you won't be leaving. I want to be sure that you will come home in the evening. The rest doesn't matter to me. I don't mind working. I don't mind having to be careful with money. I really don't. The only thing I want is for us to be a family one day. I would love if one day our kids could play with the other's kids, go to school and live a normal life." Cat explained. A smile formed on the edge of Adam's lips, Cat's words reminding him why he loved her as much as he did.

"I understand. But hey, since I am in the position to make it a bit easier on us, why not? I promise you, in a few years, your wish will come true. But for now, I only have one question for you." Adam said as he looked at her.

"What is it?" She asked him. He took a quick look at their surroundings. The beach was clear of people, them being the only one's there; the sky was clear as all the stars were visible and a crescent moon was offering a beautiful light source. He looked back at her, a wide smile on his face as he kneeled down on one knee in front of her. Cat's eyes grew wide at the sudden realization of what was happening.

"Look, I don't want to give some big speech about how you changed my life and all that. You already know that. I hope you do at least. I love you more than anything in the world and I don't even want to imagine a life without you. I'm sorry for scaring you so often but I'm doing it because I want to offer us the best future possible. And now, I want to let you know that I really mean it." He said as he took out a small box out of his pocket. He opened it to reveal a ring with a rather large, shining stone on it. "Cat, will you marry me?" He asked her as he held the box open in front of her with both hands, waiting for her response. She stood there, frozen on the spot out of surprise. Tears of joy slowly made their way down her cheek as she nodded a few times before her voice and her senses came back to her.

"I will." She said with a wide smile.

"You will?" He asked again, his own smile growing wider.

"I will!" She said before she tackled him down and hugged him around he neck for dear life, crashing her lips on his. He wiped away the few tears that were remaining before he took her hand and slowly slid the ring onto her ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful." Cat said as she looked at it.

"It better be. Jade and Tori dragged me through twelve jewelry stores until they found one they thought would be good enough for you." Adam told her.

"You took them with you?" Cat asked.

"I asked them for their help, and got a four hour shopping spree through LA. But to be honest, it was worth it." He told her before he cupped her cheek and kissed her again. Cat smiled into the kiss, happy to be engaged to the man she loves.


	18. His decission

_I drove around LA, not waiting for my mind to finally calm down to its usual, rational self. I don't know why the question drives me mad as it does, and a part of me doesn't even want to find out. This was completely new to me. It was something I had not experienced before, and it scared me. It scared the crap out of me. _

_During the last four years, had anyone asked me to choose between anything and the business, anything would have lost in a mere moment. I wouldn't have wasted a single thought on it. I mean, the business gave me everything I have today. It gave me the money, the power, the respect. It even gave me Jade. If I wasn't working for her father, I would have never met her. I would have never made a fool out of myself the fist time I saw her. I would have never apologized. I would have never taken her out on a date. I would have never started this relationship that is going to last a whole year in a few weeks. And now, I know that I will have to choose between either her, or the life I'm living right now. It scares me. It scares me that the business is not my first choice anymore. That it's not a quick answer as it always had been. I'm scared of this relationship with her. I'm scared of how much she means to me. I'm scared of how much she could mean to me after more time passes. I don't know what to think anymore. I needed to talk to someone I could trust. I needed to talk to someone who would give me another answer than Adam did. I need another answer because his scares me the most. _

Beck parked his car in front of the familiar building as he walked towards the porch and knocked on the door. He took in another deep breath, trying to calm down as much as possible. Yet, it didn't seem to work as well as he hoped it would. After a few moments, the click of the door opening snapped him out of his thoughts again.

"Hey, Beck." He heard the familiar voice he hadn't really expected. He looked up to see Tori standing there, giving him a wide smile.

"Hey Tori, is Andre here?" He asked.

"Yes, he's in the living room. Come in." She told him as she stepped aside. He walked in and took of his coat which Tori took. Andre was sitting on his couch, reading some papers. He turned around, surprised to see his friend standing there with.

"Hey man, what's up?" Andre asked him as he got up, but his expression immediately changed to concern once he realized how both distressed and pale Beck looked. "You alright? Did something happen?" Andre yelled as he put his hands on Beck's shoulders. Tori came back to the living room, concern filling her expression at Andre's words. Andre's mind raced through the possibilities, the one where the deal went wrong ever present.

"No, nothing happened. The deal went fine." Beck told him, as if he had read his best friends mind. Andre let out a long sigh of relief before he looked back at his friend again.

"What happened then?" He asked.

"After the deal, Adam and I have been talking about everything and… One question won't leave my mind and it's driving me crazy and I fucking don't know what to do!" Beck said, his voice going from calm and soft to angry and loud by the end. He began pacing around, his inner battle returning.

"What question?" Tori asked, stepping next to Andre. Beck stopped dead in his tracks, not knowing if sharing that information with Jade's best friend and cousin was a smart idea. But also, who knew her better than Tori?

"Come on, man, sit down." Andre said as he put his hand on Beck's back and led him to the sofa. Andre sat down on the couch before Tori followed and sat down right next to him.

"I…I know that I'll have to make a decision one day and I… I don't know which one to make." Beck explained.

"What decision are you talking about?" Andre asked him, both concerned about Beck's unnatural behavior and yet annoyed by him beating around the bush.

"I know that Jade will make me choose one day between her and… this… this business, this life we all are living!" Beck finally yelled out, relief coming over him only to be replaced by anger again.

Andre and Tori sat there, not immediately responding and thinking about what Beck had told him. Andre tried to figure out what to say while Tori looked as if she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"You are right." Tori said, getting both men's attention. "She doesn't want the mafia to stay part of her life. At least not forever. It's something her and I talked about way before we met you guys."

"So I will have to choose soon?" Beck asked in a voice that was near breaking.

"I don't know. I don't know if she will make you choose. Beck, she is in love with you and she won't try to jeopardize your relationship because she doesn't like your lifestyle. She loves you and she will accept it for you." Tori explained.

"But I don't want her to sacrifice anything for me. I want her to be happy. I…" Beck began, but stopped mid sentence, his mouth left wide.

_Realization hit me like a truck filled with bricks. This time, I didn't want it to be about me. This one time, I was ready to put someone else's luck in front of mine. This wasn't me. I always put myself first. What the hell was I thinking? I even took a bullet for her. I could have died because of her. _

"Thanks. I made my decision." Beck said as he got up and began walking towards the door, but he stopped just before opening it. "Wait, Tori, you've never been here before. How come you are here now?" Beck asked, finally realizing what was off about the whole thing.

"You are right. Trina told dad about what happened with her and… he didn't take it well. He threw her out of the house, and when I protested, he told me I could leave too. So I did. She's with Robbie now." Tori explained, a lump slowly forming in her throat when she remembered what had happened.

"And now, she is living with me. The house is big enough, so why not. I'm glad I bought it once the war was over. I grew tired of the flat." Andre said as he put his hand around Tori's waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Tori. It's great that you are doing this, man." Beck told Andre.

"I'm glad too. And listen, whatever happens, you know I'm here if you need me. No matter what." Andre told him.

"I know. Thanks." Beck said with a small smile as he opened the door and walked outside, towards his car. Andre and Tori stood there for a moment, both absorbing what just had happened.

"C-can I ask you something?" Tori stuttered, turning her gaze to her boyfriend.

"Anything."

"If…If you had to make the same decision…" Tori began, but she knew that he already understood the question.

"Will I have to?" He asked in a calm, neutral tone.

"Look… I'm scared of one day hearing that you've been killed somewhere in the middle of the streets because of some deal that went wrong or that there was a bomb in your car or something like that. I'm scared that if we have a family one day they could be in danger because of something you or the guys did in the past." Tori explained before she let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry, I just… I don't want to…" She began, but stopped when two hands grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. Andre closed the distance between them, his lips caressing her inner fear and turmoil.

After a moment, he pulled back, his and her brown eyes meeting and telling a story of their own.

"Girl, you and I will have a family one day. And if that family means me getting out of here, then so be it. I completely agree with Adam about the business. Save enough money and get the hell out. So when the time comes, remember this, baby girl; you are the most important thing in my life. Never forget that." Andre told her. Tori felt hot tears form in her eyes as she couldn't believe what he had just told her. She couldn't believe how seemingly easy it was for him to pick her over a life that could give him everything. She finally understood how much he loved her. And she showed him how much she loved him when she leaned back in and pushed him down onto the couch, following him down all the way.

After a few minutes, Beck finally arrived at his destination. He opened the large gate and made his way towards the front door. He knocked twice and stepped back, waiting for them to open. Half a minute later, he heard someone unlock the door and open it. His brown eyes met the familiar green ones as she smiled up and stepped outside.

"Hey, I didn't expect you. How did the deal go?" Jade asked with a smile that faded away as soon as she saw his grim expression. "W-what's wrong?" She asked him as she stepped closer and wanted to put her hand on his shoulder, but before she could, he stepped back. Her expression fell when he did that, a nightmare seemingly coming to live right in front of her. "Beck…" She said in a voice that was close to becoming a sob.

"We need to talk." He said in a tone he wanted to be neutral, but it wasn't. It was a voice that was near cracking. It was near the point of giving up on him.

_I wanted to tell her that it's over. I wanted to tell her that she changed me too much and that I couldn't let that happen. I wanted to tell her that I'm leaving her and picking the business over her. I wanted to tell her to move on and never try to contact me in any way, shape or form. I wanted to say all that, turn around and walk away without ever looking back. But when I saw her, her green eyes slowly growing wide out of fear… _

"Fuck!" He yelled as loud as he could as he turned around and kicked one of the bushes that were next to the pavement. He felt something he hadn't felt since he had seen his mother crying on the bed next to his dead father. He felt the warm tears slowly making their way down his cheeks. He didn't understand what was happening to him. All the determination he had was gone. The confidence in his decision was washed away by a single glance at her emerald eyes. _Her beautiful…eyes…_

"Beck, please, what's wrong?" Jade asked as she took another careful step towards him. This time he didn't move back. He didn't try to evade her.

"I… I can't." He said in a broken voice while the tears were still running down his cheeks.

"What?" Jade asked in a soft voice as she took another step.

"I can't choose it over you." He said as he shook his head and left out a defeated laugh. "I… I came here to tell you that I can't pick you over the life I've been living for years now. That I couldn't pick you over it because it's what I love the most. But now… I know it's a lie. All a fucking lie I've been telling myself!" He cried out, his fists turning white from clenching. He looked down and closed his eyes as tight as he could; wanting to stop the tears, wanting to regain himself. But there was no use. "I can't pick it over you. I… can't. I can't say those words. I can't imagine my life without you. But no matter how much it scares me, I can imagine a life without the mob. Without me being a part of it. So if you make me choose; if I ever have to pick between you and all this" he said as he grabbed his eighteen hundred dollar jacket, his golden watch and motioning towards everything else, "I… I can't do anything but pick you." He said as the last words left his mouth with barely any strength in them.

She stood there, not believing what she just witnessed happening. She knew what he was talking about. She knew what he meant. But his decision took her by more surprise than she ever thought it would. She didn't expect him to do it. She hoped he would, but there always had been that little voice in her head telling her that the business was more important. She had that voice since her mother died. She had it since her father neglected her because of the mob and his commitment to them. The voice went silent for the first time in months, the only other time being when she was sitting next to him in the hospital, praying to any god that he would be fine. Instead of saying anything, she took one last step towards his before she wrapped her arms around him, leaning his head on her own shoulder.

"I love you, Jade." He said in his broken voice. The words were the most sincere one's she had ever heard in her life. The strength in them despite his cracked voice not diminishing at all. She tightened her grip around him, a single tear making it's way down her tears as she smiled up and let it freely flow down.

"I love you too, Beck." She told him. He pulled out of her hug and cupped her cheeks, leaning in and kissing her. The kiss was the most passionate one they had ever shared. The most passionate one in their whole lives. It seemed to silence the doubts in their minds. It healed every wound those doubts had caused. It gave them confidence in their future. It gave them the confidence that their future was with one another.

They left for his RV that night, she deciding to stay with him. To enjoy every moment she had with him. And also to show him, that it didn't have to be bad if they didn't own much in the future. That they only needed two things: their close friends, and one another.


	19. Promises

„Cat, if you keep looking at the ring any longer, it's going to wear out." Tori told her from across the table, getting her friends attention again. Everyone met at their favorite restaurant to celebrate Cat's and Adam's engagement. To say that the guys were surprised was an understatement.

"I can't stop looking. It's so… beautiful." Cat said, smiling and looking back at the golden ring graced with a diamond. Adam took her hand in his and gave her a smile before he turned their hands around so the ring was now between their hands and the table, away from Cat's gaze.

"Phoey." Cat said with a pout, which disappeared a moment later when she felt Adam kiss her temple gently.

"I can't believe you did this, man." Andre asked as he shook his head in disbelief. "I mean, now our ladies will wait for us to do the same. Now, we are under pressure. Thanks a lot." Andre said sarcastically, looking over at Tori who slightly blushed.

"Well, I don't mind. I know who I'm marrying." Beck said, taking Jade's hand in his. "It's just a matter of time. But first, I want to buy us a house. The RV can't be our home forever."

"I can find you one if you want me to. The prices are good right now, and I can probably get you a good price." Rob told him.

"Oh, there is a pretty one a few blocks away from ours. Rob, we have to show it to them." Trina began rambling away as Beck turned his head to look at the newly engaged couple. Cat had leaned her head on Adam's shoulder while he whispered something into her hair that made her giggle.

_Until roughly a year ago, I couldn't understand why Adam decided to enter such a serious relationship. I mean, what sixteen years old decides that he wants to spend the rest of his life with one, single girl. Now, I understand. I understand how it is when no other girl matters anymore. And to be honest, it's the best feeling in the world. _

Beck let out a small laugh as he looked back at Jade, who was listening to Trina's description of the place. Beck cupped her cheek with one hand and turned her around to give her a small kiss. She looked at him, her surprised expression changing to a smile.

"What was that for?" She asked him.  
"Nothing. I just wanted to do it." He told her with a smirk. He couldn't believe that a few days ago, he actually had the idea to leave her. _What a stupid idea that was._

"Rob, you alright?" Andre asked, noticing his friend barely touching his food.

"You do look pale and restless." Adam added, a look of concern filling his expression.

"I'm alright, don't worry. I think I'm catching a flu. And yes, I didn't sleep for a day or two. There's lot's of work to be done." Rob told them with a weak laugh.

"Well, relax for a few days then. We'll take care of business." Beck told him.

"I will, thanks guys." Rob told them before taking a large bite of his steak.

"I have an announcement to make. Or should I say, I have a question to ask." Adam spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "You see, we don't know exactly when the wedding is going to be, but don't worry, you will be informed on time. The question I have is for you, Beck."

"What is it?" Beck wondered, looking at his friend.

"As you know, every groom needs a best man. So, old friend, would you do me the honor?" Adam asked, looking straight at Beck. Beck's eyes widened at the question, having been taken completely by surprise.

"Of course, man. It would be an honor." Beck said as he got up and hugged his friend, patting him on the back.

"Thanks. It means a lot." Adam told him with a smile.

"I have a question too, for Jade and Robbie." Cat spoke up. "Tori, I would love if you would be my maid of honor, and Jade and Trina would be my bridesmaids." Cat asked.

"Oh, of course I will." Tori said. Jade and Trina nodded in agreement too.

"But I also need something else. Since my dad is… Robbie, would you walk me down the aisle? " Cat asked, looking at him with her wide, brown eyes.

"O-of course I will. Thank you for asking me. It means a lot." Rob told her.

"Then that's set. Now, let's enjoy the rest of the evening." Adam finished.

* * *

The night went on normally. The couples headed to their own homes, calling it a night after few more hours passed.

"I'm worried about Trina." Tori told Andre, who was holding her hand as they walked to Andre's house.

"Why? She looked fine to me." Andre said.

"She lost some weight since we moved away from home. And she looks as if she didn't sleep well."

"She's probably under tons of stress. Your dad kicked her out, practically disowned her and now she's living with Rob who she knows for a few months. I guess it took its toll on her." Andre explained.

"I know… But I'm still worried. You haven't talked to her really. She seems… off from time to time. She spaces out a lot and doesn't seem able to focus on anything. Just two days ago I went to visit her and she broke three plates in a hour."

"Don't worry. If something was going on, we would know it." Andre told her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and hugged her close. He felt her relax at the contact, her breathing calming down and the concern in her face disappearing.

"I know you're right." She finally said. "So? When are you going to propose to me?" Tori asked suddenly, a smirk slowly appearing on the edge of her lips.

"I knew you would ask that." Andre laughed. "I knew it. I swear, Jade is pulling the same thing on Beck now."

"Well, what if we both mean it." Tori asked, wrapping both her arms around his chest.

"Why the hurry, girl? We got all the time in the wide world. We've been together almost a year. Give it time." Andre told her as he hugged her back around the waist.

"I was joking, don't worry." She said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm not in a hurry myself. Thank you for letting me stay with you." Tori told him.

"It's not like I'm letting you. I want you to stay with me." He told her. He then let out a sigh, deciding to ask something he didn't bring up. "Did you talk to your dad after he kicked you out?" He immediately felt her stiffen up in his arms. But he wouldn't let her go.

"N-no. He didn't want to talk to neither Trina nor me. Mom doesn't either. I don't even know how her health is. If she is feeling better; worse." She said as she inhaled sharply, trying to stop herself from crying. She had already done that whenever she was alone.

"Hey. It's okay. I'm here." He told her, tightening his grip around her.

"I-I can't believe that he did this to us. We are his kids, and he kicked us out because things didn't go his way." Tori cried.

"I don't understand that man. I've known him for years, but I never imagined…"

"That's the deal. Being in the police did that to him. He's cold now. He doesn't care. He only cares about success. And if you are not that, then you are a failure to him." She explained trough her sobs.

They finally arrived at Andre's place. Andre unlocked the door, one arm always around his crying girlfriend. He led her inside before he locked the door again and picked her up bridal style and carried her to the comfortable chair. He placed her on his lap and played soft, gentle kisses on her hair, her neck, her cheek and finally her lips. Tori slowly calmed down again, enjoying and resting in his arms.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure nobody ever hurts you again." He told her.

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Adam heard his girlfriend ask.

"What is it?" He turned around, having lit himself a cigar which he always smoked by the window, since Cat couldn't stand the smoke.

"Are you going to invite your parents to the wedding?" She asked him, wearing one of his shirts and playing with the end's of her hair.

"I… I really don't know. I've been pushing away that question for a while." He said as he proceeded to take another long inhale of his cigar, enjoying the relaxing sensation in his lungs. "Do you think I should?"

"I thing you should. Every parent would be happy to see their only child getting married."

"Every parent. They weren't much of parents, were they?" He asked with an irritated laugh at the memories.

"True, but they do regret it. You saw them. You saw it too. They were so happy to see you alive and well."

"Yes, because their conscience finally shut up on them."

"You know that's not true. Please, Adam. I know I would love if my parents were able to see the happiest day of my life. Don't do it to them and to yourself." Cat pleaded. Adam let out a long sigh before he turned around and walked towards her. He placed a long, gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Alright. I'll do it. I'll send them the invitation first thing tomorrow." He told her with a smile. A wide smile formed on her face, too. "You always get things your way, don't you?"

"Only with you:" She chuckled before she kissed him. "There is something else."

"What is it now?" He asked in a playfully annoyed voice.

"You… might want to sit down." She said, her expression becoming nervous.

"Is everything alright?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"I've… been feeling sick in the mornings recently and went to the doctor. I thought I was getting sick, but he… it's something else." She said. Adam looked at her, confused, before his eyes grew wide and he plumbed down into his chair, not blinking once.

"Y-y-you m-mean…" He stuttered, his voice barely able to be heard.

"I-I'm pregnant, Adam." She finally said, the nervousness ever present.

He sat in that chair, not moving, not saying a single word. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He was going to become a father. He was going to have a kid. That wasn't part of his plan. It wasn't anywhere near it. It was something he never could have predicted.

"A-Adam, please, say something. Anything." Cat pleaded, her imagination going wild.

"I'm going to be a father." He seemed to tell himself.

"Yes. Yes, you will." She said.

"I… didn't expect this." He said, looking at her for the first time since she told him.

"Please, don't be mad." Cat pleaded, tears slowly forming in her eyes.

"Cat…" He said, but she seemed to panic.

"Please, Adam, I love you. Don't be mad."

"Cat…"

"Please, we'll figure something out. Don't call off the wedding. Ple…" He cut her rambling off by getting up and kissing her. He wiped away her tears as a wide grin formed on his lips.

"I'm becoming a father." He told her as he picked her up by the waist and spun her around before hugging her to himself again. "Oh god, I'm becoming a father." He repeated, the realization finally really striking him.

"You… you are not mad?" She asked.

"Of course I'm not. Cat, I love you, and I promise you. No, I swear to you, our kid will have everything we never did. I am going to be the best father in the world!" He announced as he put his hand on her stomach. "God, I'm so happy." He said as he kissed her again.

* * *

At the same time, Rob and Trina arrived back at Rob's place, having taken a longer walk before getting home.

"I think they are getting suspicious." Trina said as she sat down on the couch.

"Don't worry, they won't find out." Rob assured her as he sat down next to her, lifting her legs on his lap.

"What if they do? Andre and Adam seemed to notice that you've changed a bit. And Tori's been asking me about my weight loss a few days ago." Trina explained.

"You worry too much, Trina. We won't go out for a few days. If someone asks we have the flu. After that, we'll figure something out." Rob said as he took out the box under the table and opened it. He took a card and put some of the white powder on the table. Trina sat up and took one of the short straws as Rob made them each a line before both snorted in the cocaine.


	20. Never cross a wiseguy

_Getting called to office in the morning was never a pleasant thing. I wasn't really a morning person, and neither was Andre, that's for sure. He's more pissed off than me, and if Roy didn't have anything important for us, we would throw a nice tantrum to teach him a lesson. Adam didn't seem bothered at all, for whatever reason. He had a smile the whole ride to Roy's house, and that shocked me out more than getting up at six AM did make me mad. _

Beck, Andre and Adam walked into the West residence, wondering why Roy had called them up so urgently. Rob wasn't with them, having called in sick. After they climbed up the stairs, Andre opened the door and walked in, stopping when he saw Dominique standing next to the table, big arms crossed over his broad chest and an angry expression that made your blood freeze.

"What's going on?" Andre asked as Beck and Adam stepped inside themselves. "Dom, you look as if someone shot your dog."

"Well, if you want to use animal metaphors, how about you try some rat ones." Dominique growled.

"What the hell?" Beck shook his head.

"We got problems over in Vegas and Dominique needs our help." Roy said, sitting behind his desk and leaning back in his chair.

"What happened?" Adam asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Some fucking sons of bitches walked into one of my bars and opened fire on the guests and the personnel. They killed two of my men, made men, a poor fucking waitress that was working there on her night off of all things and five guests who were good friends of the family. They stole the money in the safe in the backroom and some jewelry I had hidden there. Theodore is in New York helping my brother with something and you guys are the best choice anyway." Dominique explained.

"How much was stolen?" Andre asked.

"Two million dollars in cash and one and a half million in jewelry." Roy answered.

"So much money in a bar safe?" Adam wondered.

"It was stored there to be sent to Aldo the next day. It was the tribute from the casino and the jewelry was from a truck we took care of." Dominique explained.

"Any idea who could have done it?" Andre asked.

"If I knew I wouldn't be here fucking bothering you all." Dominique snarled. "I don't have time to track them down and I sure as hell won't let the fuckers get away with what they did."

"Wait, they knew about the safe and the jewelry?" Beck asked.

"I know where you are going with this, and I agree. Someone tipped them about the money and the jewelry. I want you three to go… Wait, where is Rob?" Dominique asked.

"He called in sick. He said he must have food poisoning or something. His girlfriend is sick too. It must be serious, he never gets sick." Roy said.

"Well, then I want the three of you to go to Vegas right now and find out who did it and who told them about the safe and the jewelry. I don't care how, and I don't care what you do with them. Just take care of it. I have to leave for New York. Call me when you are done." Dominique finished.

"Understood." The three said as they walked out of Roy's office and the house. They got to the airport and took the plane to Vegas, arriving there a few hours later.

_The job was really not an easy one. First things first, we barely knew anyone there. So we did what was the smart thing to do. We found someone who did. And who's better than the doormen of the biggest casino in town. Ethan was a bright kid, I had to admit. His ear seemed to catch everything around him, and his eyes caught details others didn't bother to even try and notice. We gave him a nice tip and he gave us a name he picked up one day while listening around for some stupid fucks that bragged about the things they pulled. He swore he heard about some jewelry getting stolen and a guy named Wayne being behind it. It didn't take long to find out who he was. He was some new big shot from Georgia who wanted to make a name for himself here with his crew. Poor bastard made the mistake of making his name on our family. And that didn't sit well with us. _

A man in his late twenties walked towards his door when he heard someone knock. He looked through the scope and saw that it was the room service he had ordered a few minutes ago. He unlocked the door, but as soon as the lock clicked, the door hit him in the face full force, knocking him back and down. He grabbed his face, seeing that the room service was gone and three men in suits walked into the room. His eyes grew wide as one of them grabbed him by his throat and began dragging him through the room towards the glass doors of the balcony, opening them with his head. Bloodied and stunned, he regained his senses and noticed that he was leaned far onto the guard rail of the balcony.

"W-who are you?" the man yelled, fear pouring out of his voice.

"Where's Wayne?" Beck asked him. The man's face froze out of fear as he realized who paid him the visit. "Guys." Beck said as Adam and Andre grabbed each of the man's legs and held him over the ledge. A few moments later, he screamed an address where Wayne had stayed last.

"Thank you." Beck said before he turned around. A loud scream was heard behind him as Andre and Adam followed Beck while the man took a dive from the forty second floor.

_He was going to die anyway. That's how we deal with the people that mess with us. We can't show mercy. It's seen as weakness, and if you show it even once, you are the next men on the hit list. We got what we needed, so we went to the address. It was an empty, broken down place a bit out of town, but that was only how it looked from outside. Inside, it was another story. Unfortunately, we weren't lucky enough. Wayne was not there. But the other guy that was with them was. His name was Phil Gules, a low life drug dealer and dirt handler when necessary. After letting Adam "persuade" him, he told us that Wayne was out of town to take the money and the jewelry to the man that hired them. And we decided to wait. _

A green car parked in front of the abandoned factory as a young man dressed in a red suit got out of it and began walking towards the entrance. He opened the door and walked inside, whistling some melody and counting some money he took out of his pocket. He dropped the money when he saw the bleeding body of Phil hanging upside down from the ceiling, blood still dripping on the table and his skull brutally bashed in.

Before Wayne could even let out a scream, he felt the cold barrel of a gun on the back of his head, the clicking of the hammer confirming his fear. Wayne whimpered in fear when Andre and Beck walked towards him out of one of the rooms.

"Come on, turn around." Andre told him. When he did, Adam hit him full force with the handle of his gun. Wayne dropped to the ground, three of his teeth falling around the floor as blood dripped out of his mouth and nose.

"Wayne, I'm going to be honest. You saw what we did to Phil…" Beck said pointing towards the hanging body," and the cops are probably still scrapping Kenny from the pavement. Now, you can tell us what we want to know, or we can show you how long it actually can take until the human body finally dies. And trust me, it can take a lot." Beck told him in a cold, serious voice.

"I-it was Paul Satavo." Wayne mumbled out, his words barely audible after his teeth got knocked out.

"What?" Adam uttered, looking at Beck and Andre in disbelief. "Paul Satavo?"

"Yes! Yes!" Wayne yelled. Andre saw that he had even pissed himself out of fear.

"It can't be." Beck said as he began pacing around. "Do him the favor!" He yelled at the enforcers. Adam and Andre dragged him towards one of the steps, making him bite down one of them. As Wayne tried to beg for mercy one more time, Adam's foot stomped down on the back of his head and neck, curb stomping Wayne and breaking his neck. It killed him immediately.

The three walked towards their car, distraught at the information they had found. They sped towards the safe house they had been staying at. Beck grabbed the phone immediately and dialed the familiar number, the other line picking up a few moments later.

"Roy, connect us to Aldo right now!"

* * *

The three were back in LA three days later, having confirmed the original information they refused to believe. The three were greeted at the airport, Dominique and Theodore already waiting for them.

"Great job, guys." Dominique said as he hugged his soldiers.

"The two of you didn't have to wait for us." Adam said.

"Well, there is something important we have to tell you, so please." Theodore said as they walked out of the airport and into the stretch limousine. The drive was nothing special. Andre informed the underboss and his personal bodyguard about the details of the job and the men involved.

They arrived at Roy's house not too long later, walking inside the house and following the underboss into Roy's office. They were more than surprised to see the godfather of the family himself, Aldo, sitting behind Roy's desk while Roy sat on one of the couches. When Aldo saw the three walk into the room, he got up and walked towards them.

"I'm so proud of you three." Aldo said as he kissed each one of them on both cheeks.

"I can't believe it was Paulie who hired them." Adam said as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"Neither did I. That's why I went to Venice myself. I wanted to see it with my own eyes." Aldo said as he sat back down behind the desk.

"Venice?" Beck wondered.

"Paulie retired a month ago. He had been in the business for nearly forty years and said he wanted out if possible. He had done a good job so far, so I let him out. I gave him my blessing. He went back home to Italy, saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his family." Aldo explained.

"We went there ourselves, and saw the money and the jewelry with our own eyes. He hadn't been able to hide it in such short time. When we asked him why he did it, he said he wanted to enable his kids a life away from the mob. The money would enable him that." Dominique explained.

"What happened to him?" Andre asked.

"He's sleeping with the fishes." Theodore answered in a neutral tone.

"We got another problem. This time in LA." Aldo said.

"What? We were away maybe five days, what happened?" Beck asked, taken back at the news.

"We got a rat in the family. Your friend, Rob." Aldo said as he looked at the three. All three froze on the spot, their expressions reading disbelief.

"W-what? Rob? A rat? Are you fucking kidding me?" Adam said as he got up.

"I wish I was. I never approved of your drug business here, but I let it slide because of the great work the four of you did for me. While you were away, Rob tried to make another deal with a new drug guy in town. His work was sloppy, because the guy was an undercover agent of the FBI. He ran right into their trap." Aldo explained.

"W-what? Rob doesn't make mistakes like that." Beck said, trying to figure out what was going on.

"He never did. That's what shocked me too. He got hooked to cocaine. We don't know when, but he seemed to hide it well enough. Looking at your reaction, you three didn't know either." Roy spoke up. "It fucks with your brain, and even a smart guy like Rob would suffer by it."

"No. I don't believe it. I won't believe it!" Beck yelled, Andre and Adam nodding in agreement.

"I wouldn't make the claim if I wasn't one hundred percent sure." Aldo said as he threw a tape recorder to Beck, who caught it. Beck looked at it for a moment before pressing the play button. What he heard broke his heart and his spirit. It was Rob's voice talking to an FBI agent and making a deal for himself and Trina for information about the Trapani family and business. He wanted to rat them out.

As the tape ran out, the room was filled with silence, Beck starred at his other two friends in disbelief, while they looked everywhere but into someone's eyes, realization striking them. Rob, one of them, their best friend, a man they regarded a brother, was making a deal to rat out everyone, including them, to save his ass. He and Trina were supposed to get into a witness protection program and give the FBI all the information about the family, the businesses, the members and everything else.

"Guys, I have one more request for you. He trusts you. He will feel safe around you. I want you to find him, get him somewhere way from town, and click him." Aldo said.

"No…" Beck shook his head in disbelief, trying to suppress the tears that wanted to escape his eyes.

"Kill him."


	21. What must be done

_I don't know why. I don't know how. I don't understand how we didn't notice anything. I mean… we did notice, but we all were in denial. We knew that now. We knew it when we were sitting in Rob's kitchen, waiting for him to come back home. We used the spare key we all had for each other's places, in case we needed to disappear or hide anything business related. Now, we were sitting at his table, a place that I had never dreaded as much as I did now. I look at Andre and Adam. Andre is looking at the floor, shaking his head every now and then, probably absent mindedly while Adam tapped his fingers on the table, looking straight forward at nothing. I know what is going on through their minds right now. It's exactly what is going through mine. We got our orders two days ago, after Rob got out on bail. We knew we didn't have much time and that he wanted to pick up some things he could give the FBI as evidence. We knew that he would be gone soon one way or another. And we knew that there was one thing we had to do. _

_I have to admit, I never had a problem with hits. It was always business. It was always people that deserved it. It was always done because they had brought themselves into this predicament. But now, that it happened to one of us; to someone I considered my brother, it wasn't business anymore. It couldn't be._

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Adam spoke up.

"Believe me; I've been thinking about it myself until now." Andre responded. Both let out loud sighs.

"I mean just… get him out of the country. Hide him somewhere and tell Aldo that he's dead or something." Adam said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I knew this was going to happen. I fucking knew!" He yelled, slamming his fist on the table hard. "I should not have given in to his idea. I should have known better."

"How the hell should any of us have known?" Beck spoke up, deciding that one of them needed to keep the rational mind. "He lied to us. He looked right at us and lied without flinching a single time. And now, he's ready to sacrifice all of our heads to save his own." Beck finished, Adam calming and sitting back down while Andre stayed silent.

_I didn't want to believe a single word I said there. None of us wanted to, but they were the fucking pill called truth we all had to swallow now. I regret not putting my foot down a long time ago, the moment I felt that something was going wrong. But again, I was in denial. We all had been in fucking denial. And we all were going to pay for it now. _

"So we are going through with it?" Andre asked, his voice lacking any of the usual strength and confidence.

"Yes. We have to. We can't let a rat get away." Beck said, every word burning as it left his throat.

The three stiffened up when they heard the door unlock and open. They knew that it was Rob and Trina coming back. They heard them banter about nothing in particular as they entered the kitchen, flinching when they saw Beck, Andre and Adam sitting there.

"Wow. Hey guys. You really scared me there." Rob said, a smile appearing on his face.

_Now that I know, now that I see him, I want to kick myself so hard in the balls until I spit them out for not noticing. He's pale as a ghost, he's barely got any meat on him, the bags under his eyes are completely visible and his look is as tired and glassy as anyone's I've ever seen before. I've never felt so fucking stupid in my life._

"Hey. Is everything alright?" Trina asked, her oversized sunglasses covering the rings around her eyes and good placed makeup hiding her paleness.

"Roy wants us to pick up some important stuff from one of the Irish guys at the dock. He wants us all to go, I don't know why." Andre explained. Rob looked nervous for a moment, the idea of doing something for the mob now making him nervous, but that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"He can't give us a break, can he?" Rob asked, shaking his head as he put his hands on his hips.

"You know how he is. We do everything, and he's getting richer." Adam said with a chuckle.

"Alright, let's go." Rob said. "I'll be back soon." He told Trina as he gave her a kiss that lasted a bit longer then all the previous ones they shared in front of the others.

The four walked out of Rob's house and got into the car, Andre driving and Rob sitting shotgun. Beck looked at Adam, who had his cold, emotionless expression on while Andre talked to Rob about their trip to Vegas and everything they had seen there, even sharing a few laughs with him.

"Hey, you missed the turn to the docks." Rob said, but Andre didn't respond. He turned around, but neither Beck nor Adam looked at him. Rob's smile faded. His carefree expression dropped that moment as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He turned back forward, leaning back in his seat as his hands began shaking. A few minutes later, Andre parked the car further out of town, in the middle of a deserted farm. The four slowly got out of the car, none of them uttering a single phrase. They walked for a while, Beck going first as Rob followed him, Andre and Adam behind him. They stopped a few minutes later, as Rob's eyes landed on the whole dug in the middle of the field.

"Why?" Beck finally asked, the question coming out in the form of a choked sob. He swallowed quickly, shutting his eyes and reminding himself what Rob was willing to do to them.

Rob didn't answer immediately. He first looked at Beck for a moment before slowly turning his head and looking at both Andre and Adam. They're expressions read anger. Dissapointment. Sadness. Betrayal. Regret. Rob saw them all. He knew them long enough for that. He knew them well enough for that.

"Since the war was over, I couldn't sleep. Whenever I did, all I saw were people dying around me. Like they did then. Every one of our friends, our colleagues, our family I watched die again and again, every time I fell asleep. I saw you three get shot every time. I saw you die in front of me every fucking night. I tried to choke it down in alcohol, but no matter how much I drank, it never worked." Rob began.

"No matter how much I drank, the nightmares didn't stop. Every night, I watched you guys die, and I couldn't take it. When I went to Vegas, I stayed awake for four days at first; doing everything I could so I didn't fall asleep. Trina was worried herself, but she had no clue. I never told her, as I never told you. One night, one of the dealers there told me he had something to keep me awake. Something that would both calm me down and make me feel better. Make me feel good again. He told me to try it. One line. One, single line of coke. It was all it took." Rob added.

_I wanted to go to Vegas again and break every single bone of that dealer with my bare fists. I wanted to beat the crap out of Rob for never telling us about his nightmares. I knew that not all of us could survive this without consequences. That was why he had buried himself so much in work after it ended. He tried to distract himself. He tried to do anything but remember. Why didn't I understand this earlier? Why didn't any of us understand?_

"I felt so good that day. I felt like I had no worries in my life. Like I was unstoppable. It was when I asked Trina to be my girlfriend, and she said yes. It was when I made plans for my future. It was when I figured out a way for all of us to get something out of that white stuff. The money for you guys, and the high for me."

"Why didn't you tell us? We would have helped you!" Andre yelled, grabbing Rob by his jacked. Rob didn't look at him, he didn't whimper in fear; he didn't flinch for a moment.

"I thought about it. I also spent a few nights with my gun in my mouth, thinking about pulling the trigger. But I didn't have the guts to do any of those two. So I kept going. I did everything I could to hide it. I wore darker clothes to hide my weight loss. I blamed all on the lack of sleep. Hell, Trina even managed to cover my paleness with make up for a while. It worked. Everything worked out so well until I made that mistake. And now I'll pay for it." Rob said, the last part coming out in the form of a desperate chuckle.

"And then you made a deal with the FBI to rat everyone out. Even the three of us." Adam said, not moving from the spot he was standing on.

"Like I had a choice. I got pinched. Don't you get it? Aldo would have killed me anyway. I know to much. I'm not Italian. He wouldn't take the risk. I knew that the moment I saw one of the agents steal the tape from the recorder when none of his colleagues looked. But I didn't expect him to send you guys. I didn't think Roy would do this." Rob explained.

"What are you talking about? You would have gotten a few years, sat half of them through and been out. Prison is not so bad for us. We live like kings there." Beck told him.

"Yes, except if you are caught for something they don't approve. We all know why Roy, Dominique, hell, even Aldo looked away. We were making so much money for them, they didn't want it to stop. But with drugs, you can't get out. You can't get away. Especially me, an addict. To them, I don't have a soul anymore. I sold it for the white powder, just like they did for the money years ago. They never approved of the drug business. They knew that if we got caught, if they got dragged into it, no favor from a politician could help. No sum of money could fix that. So why take the chance. Going into the protection program was my only chance of surviving." Rob explained.

"Did Trina do coke when you came to Vegas?" Andre asked. Rob only shook his head no.

"When David chased her out, she was so depressed. She didn't stop crying. She even wanted to hang herself at one point. She felt like a complete waste of air. She felt useless; as if she had disappointed everyone. So I did what I thought was the only thing that could calm her down again. I gave her some of the coke, and it worked. Be she got hooked worse than me." Rob explained, his words calm, yet full of regret. "What's going to happen to her now?" He asked.

"We don't know." Beck told him. It was only half the truth. They knew what was coming. They only didn't know how it would happen.

"Can… can you do me the favor and get her out of this? For old times sake." Rob asked, a little bit of hope left in his voice. He didn't look at any of his friends. He looked down at the ground, not wanting to see the disappointment in their faces anymore.

"You know that we can't do that." Adam told him.

Rob only nodded in response. He looked up again and gave each of his friends a small smile as he took his glasses off and put them in the front pocket of his jacket. He slowly began walking towards the hole that was roughly fifty yards away. Memories flooded his thoughts, memories with the guys. Memories with Trina. He remembered the first time he had met her. How he had fallen in love with her. Now, he knew that it was him that ultimately destroyed her. It was him that put her on the road to self destruction.

He remembered how happy he and his three brothers were when they took over their first racket successfully.

He remembered how proud they were of him when he found out everything necessary for it. He remembered how proud Roy was of him for stepping into the footsteps of his father.

He remembered how he was able to take care of his mother with his hard work.

He remembered how he had wasted so much time on random girls that didn't mean anything to him.

He remembered how he enjoyed every second he had spent with Beck, Andre and Adam.

He remembered how happy he was when Beck pulled through after getting shot.

He remembered how happy he was when they all came out of the war alive and well.

He remembered how happy his friends were when they saw their girls again.

He remembered how happy he was when Adam and Cat announced their engagement.

He remembered how happy he was when he saw how Andre was planning his future with Tori.

He remembered how happy he was when he saw Beck change so he could make Jade happy again.

He remembered how happy he was when Cat asked him to walk her down to the aisle.

Now, he wouldn't even be there to witness the happiest days in the lives of his brothers.

He heard the hammers of the guns slowly being pulled back. He was standing in front of the hole, looking right into it. He heard the loud sighs his friends breathed out. He could swear he felt their doubts, their hesitation. But there was no turning back.

He knew that it was something they didn't want to do. But they had to. It was something that had to be done.

He asked himself if there was an afterlife for him. If he would ever see his friends again. If he would ever see Trina again. _Oh Trina…_ He thought. If there was an afterlife, he knew where he would go. There was a special place in hell for rats. For traitors. It was in the ninth circle of hell, right with Lucifer, Brutus and Judas. And Trina didn't deserve to go there. He would never see her again. He wished he had kissed her one second longer before he left.

The last thing he heard were three bangs, all happening around the same moment. In an instant everything went black, as the life faded out of his body.


	22. Enough of this

_I didn't want to be here now. I didn't want to be in LA. I didn't want to be in the family right now. I didn't want to be in Andre's house right now. I didn't want to see Tori sitting in the corner of the living room, bawling her eyes out. I didn't want to see my brother Andre standing next to me, helpless to do or say anything to her. I didn't want to watch the girl I love hold her cousin, trying to calm her down while she herself wanted to break. I wanted to go back and get in that hole myself because it would be easier then dealing with this now. That day, we all came back to our homes without uttering a single word to one another. It was the first time I saw Adam shed a tear. It was the first time I saw him and Andre lose control of their emotions. Me? I was the worst. Jade didn't ask what was wrong. She didn't bombard me with questions. She only sat next to me and stayed there. I think she knew what was going on. She's a smart woman. She knows what is happening. But even she couldn't predict what happened next. I did, but I wanted to be wrong this time. I wanted to be completely wrong. _

"T-tori, it will be alright. I'm here." Jade said in a soft voice, her arms wrapped around the sobbing girl. Tori tried to speak, but no words would escape her mouth. The only things heard were her sobs.

Andre was sitting in one of the chairs, his hands covering his face as the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed him. He looked over at Beck every now and then, as if hoping that he would find a way out of this situation. He always did, but now, there was none.

_Rob wasn't the only one we lost. While we took care of him, LAPD stormed into his house and arrested Trina, who had just been ready to snort another line. They took her straight to jail, her begging not working for a second. Her father didn't talk to her; she didn't get her phone call. Nobody took her in for interrogation. Nobody set bail for her. She spent that night in jail, and it was her last night. The next morning, they found her. They say she had hanged herself, but every wiseguy knew better. She was killed. Aldo was in town, and David was both helpless and even if he could have done something, he wouldn't have. We got the news this morning, and ever since then, Tori hadn't spoken another word. She had only cried, and Jade never left her side, the same way Tori never left Jade's when Ms. West was killed years ago. _

"I'm going to tell Roy tomorrow that I'm quitting." Beck said, turning his head to look at Andre. Andre nodded in response, understanding what Beck meant and also understanding that Beck was right. They crossed a line. They crossed it a long time ago, but never had it been one of them to have to deal with the consequences.

"I'm out too. I'll pack mine and Tori's things and we are out of here tomorrow." Andre said.

"I thought about going back to Canada. Stay there for a while and possibly move somewhere where they couldn't find us." Beck told him. "I would love if you and Tori came with us. We're safer the more we are."

"Mhm. I don't think Tori would go anywhere without Jade anyway. Not right now." Andre said.

"I'll call Adam later and tell him our plan. I'm sure he'll agree. Maybe he knows a place we could stay." Beck said as he walked over to where Jade and Tori were. He kneeled beside them and explained their plan.

"I'll come with you to pick up my things. I can't wait to get away from here." Jade said.

"W-w-we have to t-tell Cat." Tori managed to say through her tears.

"I'll tell Adam, don't worry. Nobody is dying anymore, I promise." Beck told her as he got up and walked towards the phone, dialing the familiar number.

"Are you okay?" Cat asked in a concerned tone. Adam turned around to look at his fiancé. He hadn't slept at all last night.

"No, I'm not." He told her honestly.

"Adam, you had no choice." Cat tried to comfort him. He had told her what they had done, and explained everything to her. She understood. She really did. She also knew that Adam never would have laid a finger on someone he cared about for no reason. "Did you?" She asked, hoping that the conversation would lead somewhere.

He didn't respond immediately, but after a minute, he shook his head.

"No, none of us did. Someone else would have killed him, maybe even tortured. But it never should have come to this. I should have noticed that something is wrong with him. It was so obvious." Adam sighed, but then felt two arms slowly sling around his upper body.

"Nobody noticed because he didn't want to. He made a mistake, Adam. We all did." Cat told him in a calm voice. She felt him hug her back and place a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm tired of this place." Adam said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Cat asked, looking at him with her big, brown eyes.

"I'll talk to Roy tomorrow and tell him that I'm out of here. I don't want anything to do with the mob anymore." He said as Cat's eyes grew wide and a large smile appeared on her face. "I don't want my child to be in any danger and I don't want you to be in any danger. I don't want you to worry where I am anymore. Tomorrow, it will be over." He said before he cupped her cheek and kissed her.

Beck called him later, and they agreed to meet after they talked to Roy at Andre's place. They would stay in Beck's hometown before they figured out another place to stay. They would stay together, live in the same town, as close to one another as possible. It was for protection. It was to keep each other safe.

The next day came quickly as Beck got up. Jade and he stayed at Andre's place, since Tori didn't want them to leave, nearly having a panic attack. He put on his clothes and walked downstairs where he saw Jade, Andre and Tori sitting at the kitchen table, Andre having a sober expression on his face while Tori looked worse then the day before.

"Time to go." Beck said. Andre and Jade both got up, but Tori began to panic again."

"P-please, don't leave me alone, I'm scared they will come for me too." Tori cried.  
"Tori, we'll be back soon, please, I…" Andre tried to calm her down, but she only grabbed his hand and hugged his arm, not letting go.

"No! Please, don't leave me alone. Please!" She cried. Andre wanted to say something, but Beck beat him to it.

"I'll talk to Roy. You stay here with her. We'll be back soon." Beck said. Andre looked at Tori for a moment before he turned his attention back to his friend and nodded. Beck and Jade walked to Beck's car and drove off towards the West residence. The ride was silence. No words were necessary. They just wanted to get away from all this. Jade lost another family member to the mob life and a close friend in Rob. Beck actually had to pull the trigger on someone he swore to protect with everything he had. They both had enough losses in their life. They had enough.

After a few minutes of driving, they arrived at Mr. West's house. They got out of the car and walked into the large house. Nobody seemed to be there, but both knew better. Roy spent most of his time in the office, and Beck knew that he was there now, too.

"Go, pack your things and wait for me at the car." Beck said as he walked upstairs towards Roy's office while Jade walked into her room. Beck knocked twice before he opened the door and walked inside, and as he expected, the capo was sitting behind his desk, filling out some papers. He also spotted the gun sitting on the top of the desk.

"Oh, hey Beck. I thought I heard someone outside. How can I help you?" Roy asked, taking his eyes of the papers for a moment to look at Beck before looking back at the desk.

"Roy, I'm leaving the family." Beck told him in a determined voice. It seemed to have caught Roy's full attention, because he stopped writing whatever he began writing and looked up at the young man.

"Come again?" He said.

"I'm leaving LA, I'm leaving the business. So is Andre, and so is Adam. We've had enough. I've had to shoot one of my best friends in the back and I will not wait for something like that to happen again!" Beck said.

"Beck, its only business. Rob made a dumb decision. And he had to pay for the consequences. I know you guys are upset about it. But that's no reason to…" Roy began, but Beck didn't want to hear any of it.

"Cut the crap, Roy! I don't want to hear any of the wiseguy, business bullshit. I broke the one rule I had set in my life and I won't make the same mistake again. I'm out of here, and I'm taking Jade with me. She doesn't deserve to live in a family like this." Beck said with venom in his voice. Just as he wanted to turn around, Roy stood up, his expression filled with anger.

"Family like this? What's wrong with my family? We all live like fucking royalty here. She has everything she needs. I never denied her a single wish. I didn't lay my hand on her a single time. And I was the one who made all of you. You all are like my sons to me."

"Your sons? You let three of your sons shoot the fourth. Rob was the son of your best friend, god damn it! And you let him get killed! You let Aldo give the order! You didn't even try to fight for him, even after everything he had done for you. He went nuts because of the war, in which he fought for this fucking family! And how did you thank him? How did Aldo thank him? For his sacrifices, for taking away his father, for giving his mother an emotional breakdown she will never recover from, for making him a fucking criminal? He gave the order to kill him! So don't tell me that this family cares or that you care about any of us! You even let your own niece die. You let them hang her in prison for no reason! She didn't know anything. She had no clue what was going on. You could have saved her, but no, neither her uncle nor her own father gave a single fuck about her. So don't you dare tell me that this family cares, while you let your own flesh and blood get spilled!" Beck yelled back.

"Oh, I know where this is going. You want to rat us out, don't you? You want your revenge against Aldo and everyone, don't you Beck?" Roy asked, stepping away from his desk and making his way towards Beck.

"You are paranoid, Roy. I want out of this! I want nothing to do with this. As far as I'm concerned, you can all rot in hell." Beck said.

_I saw him grab for the gun that moment. No question, he had gone crazy himself, and I pushed every button I did not want to. Now, it was too late. It was the moment he got up from his desk. Now… now I got no idea where this will go._

Beck grabbed Roy's wrists to keep the gun away from himself. They wrestled for a moment, but the capo was bigger and stronger in the struggle. But before he could shoot, Beck punched him in the gut and slapped the gun out of his hand. Roy tackled the smaller man down and began punching him, but Beck turned them over the moment Roy's punch missed. Before he realized it, Roy had grabbed for a letter opener from the table and almost caught Beck with it. He jumped Beck again and tackled him down. He sat on top of Beck and tried to drive the sharp object into his chest. Beck grabbed Roy's hands and pushed with all force, trying to keep the letter opener away from himself, but Roy's strength was superior. In one last focus of strength, Beck managed to push him off himself. As both men got on their feet, a shot was fired.

_Everything froze that moment. I heard the hammer of a gun click and a shot fired a moment later. Our of a reflex, I immediately began tapping my body, looking for blood. I didn't feel the shot, but you rarely do in the first moment. The shock is way too great for your nervous system. But before I could even check my own hands, Roy dropped to the floor with a loud thud. I turned to where the sound had come from, to see Jade standing there with the gun Roy and I had fought for. She looked horrified, but that disappeared a moment later._

"Die! Die! Die you dumb son of a bitch!" Jade said as she fired another shot into his back. Beck ran towards her and took away the gun from her shaking hands and hugged her to himself.

"W-what did I just do?" Jade asked him in a shaky, terrified voice.

"You just saved my life." Beck said as he hugged her closer to himself and rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. But when he heard the front door of the house open, he tensed up himself. He grabbed Jade's hand and led her behind the desk, stepping over Roy's motionless body. As they hid behind the desk, they heard the office door open and someone step into the room.


	23. The last stand

_Panic was the perfect word to describe what was going on in my mind this moment. Roy West, the capo of the Trapani family, was lying dead in his office, shot by his own daughter after fighting with me a mere moment ago. Now, Jade and I were hiding behind a desk, waiting for whoever it was that walked into the room to say something. I wanted to know who it was. Was it another wiseguy, was it the lady that cleaned the house or whoever. I always prided myself with the ability to talk my ass out of any predicament, but right now, no words could get me out of the mess me and my girlfriend were in. I held her tightly to myself, hoping she wouldn't let a single sound escape her. I clenched the gun with my other hand, hoping it wouldn't be necessary. But when I didn't hear any reaction from the person that entered; when no word was uttered at the picture in that was in front of that person, I knew that it was a wiseguy. Now, there was only one thing to do. Hope I was quicker with the gun than him. _

Beck jolted up and pointed the gun towards the door, but to his surprise, no one was in his aim. It was that moment when he heard someone pull a gun out and aim at him.

"Fuck. It's you." Beck heard a familiar voice say. He let out a giant sigh of relief when he recognized Adam's voice. "What the hell happened here?" Adam asked, looking around the office.

"Roy didn't take our resignation well." Beck told him as he placed Roy's gun back at the table.

"You shot him?" Adam asked.

"No. Jade did." Beck said as he hugged the shaking Jade again while letting out another sigh out of relief.

"I understand." Adam said. "You know that we are fucked, right?"

"I know… I know…"

_What he said was an understatement. You see, we killed not only a high ranking member of the Trapani mob, we also killed a close friend of the boss himself. And that meant that the mob would hunt us until Aldo has the head of the killer on a silver platter. And when a mafia boss is after your ass, you are done. It's only a question of time then._

"I am fucked. My prints are the last on the gun and Aldo will count two and two together when I skip town." Beck explained.

"And he'll come after us to find you or at least bait you out." Adam added. Beck sighed as he covered his face with his hands in desperation.

"I…I killed him. Let them come for me." Jade said in a shaky voice.

"No way." Beck said. "I'd rather they slit my throat before they even lay a finger on you."

"Well, I'm not going to let you get killed for something I did." Jade shot back.

"I would have killed him anyway, Jade. He wouldn't have stopped until one of us was dead. Please, leave, deny seeing this happen and forget me." Beck told her, but she only shook her head no.

"I won't do that. I'd rather die then abandon you here."

Their argument was interrupted by the phone ringing in the office. Beck looked at Jade as he reached for it, but then felt a tight grip on his wrist.

"Don't you even think about it." Adam told him as he pushed Beck's arm away from the phone and picked it up himself.

"Hello?" He answered. "Dominique, I just walked into Roy's office. Someone shot him… Yes, he's lying right in front of me… No, I didn't touch anything…No, I didn't call the cops…Alright, I'll wait here." Adam finished before he put the phone down again while Beck looked at him with wide eyes.

"Adam, what the fuck? Are you out of your mind?" Beck asked in disbelief.

"Dominique and Theodore will be here in around fifteen minutes. Grab Jade's things, get Cat and get the fuck out of town." Adam told him.

"What? No… No! You won't do this!" Beck yelled at his friend.

"I'm not going to spend the rest of my life on the run from them, Beck. I won't allow Aldo to chase them like animals." Adam said as he walked towards Roy's desk and opened the drawers. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for. "Jackpot." He said as he took out some notepads and handed them over to Beck. "Rob told me once that he helped Roy write down all the finances. In these are all the names, deals and profits. He wrote us under Rob's profit, so your names are clear. Grab these, grab Roy's money if you know where he hid it and get out!" Adam explained

"What about you?" Jade asked.

"I'll wait for Dominique and Theodore. I'll lead them away, buy you as much time as possible and then catch up with you guys. I'll find you, don't worry." Adam said with a smile.

_He was lying. I knew him. I knew how he was thinking. When he said he wouldn't spend the rest of his life on the run from them, he meant that he didn't want Cat to live that way. He was sending us away to take the blame and offer us a new beginning. He knew that he would not leave this place alive once Dominique and Theodore show up. _

"Bull…" Beck started, but Adam cut him off.

"You are wasting time. Go!" He told them. Jade walked over to him and hugged him.

"Please, find us. Cat can't live without you. Don't do this to her." She told him through her tears.

"Don't worry. I promised her I wouldn't leave her." Adam reassured her. Jade pulled away and nodded before walking out to Beck's car. Beck walked over to his friend and hugged him, holding back the urge to break down right there in front of him.

"Take care of Cat for me. Please." Adam said.

"I will. Thank you. Thank you for…"

"Don't start now. I'm not letting any of you guys die if I can help it. You guys just get away." Adam told him. Beck walked out of the office and towards his car, wiping away his tears as he got into the drivers seat and sped off towards Adam's place.

Adam patiently waited in Roy's office, lighting himself one last cigar as he leaned against the wall. He made a quick plan on how to do this, but he knew that there wasn't much he could do now by himself. So he decided to improvise. Ten minutes later, Dominique and Theodore arrived. They hurried upstairs into the office, both cursing once they saw the capo lying on the ground.

"Adam, what the fuck happened here?" Dominique asked.

"The hell I know. I came here to discuss business with him and found him like this. You called a moment later and now we are here." Adam explained, carefully watching every move both men would make. He couldn't fight them both. Both were legendary enforcers in their prime, and now they also had enough experience to know every dirty trick in the book.

"He fought with the killer. He probably tried to stab him with this," Theodore said as he pointed towards the letter opener, "but he got shot before he could reach him. Vega should be able to get us more details."  
"I'll call him right away." Dominique said as he reached for the phone. Adam took this chance. He reached for his gun and immediately fired two shots into the underbosses body. Dominique went down quickly as he let out a scream, but once Adam tried to aim for Theodore, the enforcer grabbed Adams arm and in one quick move got the gun out of his grip. Before he could grab it himself, Adam punched him right in the face as Theodore staggered backwards as the gun flew away. He didn't fall back tough as every other man would. Theodore regained himself a mere second later before his fist connected with Adam's chin. Adam took a step back from the impact, at which Theodora went for the punch again. This time however, Adam managed to dodge his punch and hit Theodore multiple times in the sides, aiming for his kidneys. Theodore responded with an elbow to Adam's temple that sent Adam falling into one of the couches. Theodore grabbed the letter opened from the floor and went after Adam. Just as he was to stab Adam into the chest, Adam grabbed his arm and used the momentum to reverse it and stabbed Theodore into his stomach. Theodore gasped in pain as his hand was still holding on to the sharp object. Adam, still holding the opener, kneed his own hand twice to drive it even deeper into Theodore's gut before pulling it out and stabbing the enforcer into the throat. Blood spilled from his wounds as Theodore dropped to the ground.

Adam let out a sigh of relief, but a sharp pain overwhelmed him that moment. It felt as if someone had hit him with a baseball bat right into the chest. But then he heard another loud bang, making him realize that he had been shot. He dropped to the floor while he watched Dominique, on his knees next to Roy's desk, holding Roy's gun in his hand.

"You…stupid…fuck…" Dominique uttered as he crawled towards Adam. He raised his gun again, but no bulled would come out. It was empty. He dropped the gun as he finally reached Adam and wrapped his hands around Adam's neck, trying to choke him to death. Adam felt his vision blur as Dominique put his bear like strength into the grip. In one last act of desperation, Adam reached for Dominiques face and trusted his thumbs into Dominiques eyes, blood splattering around as the underboss screamed in pain. Adam reached for the gun Dominique had dropped and began bashing Dominiques head with it until he stopped responding at all.

Adam tried to get up, but winced down in pain. He put his hands on his lower chest, seeing the blood on his hand. He managed to pull himself towards the nearest wall and lean on it, sitting on the floor surrounded by the bodies of three of the most powerful men in the country. He tried to get up again, but the pain was too much for him. Adam slowly felt his legs go numb while the bleeding wouldn't stop even with direct pressure. He leaned back and let go, taking long, slow breaths.

_**I looked around the room. All this blood. All the dead bodies in here. It was a matter of time before we ended like this. I knew it would happen when I became a wiseguy. I hoped I could avoid it. I hoped one day to buy a house in Tampa, on the coast near the white beach, where I could make every day I spent with Cat the best day of her life. But that won't happen now. **_

_**I lied to her again. I promised her I would never leave her and now it's the second time I do. I'll never see her again, her beautiful, big, brown eyes; I'll never feel her smile under my lips as I kiss her; I'll never watch her walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress on the happiest day of my life; I'll never see our child make its first steps and utter it's first words. I won't even find out if it would be a girl or a boy. I didn't want to leave Cat to be a single mother, but I also couldn't put her and our child live a life where we run away, never knowing if we would survive until the next day. I wouldn't let her be scared ever again. **_

_**God, I would love to see her one more time. One last time. I want to hold her just one more time in my arms and apologize for everything bad I've done. I want to say that I'm sorry for every moment she cried because of me. That I'm sorry for every moment I made her feel bad. I want to kiss her goodbye and beg her to forgive me for leaving her again. I wanted to give us and our child a life we never had, one where money is no issue and we would stick together as a family, no matter what. I wanted to give Cat the wedding she always dreamt off. I wanted to reestablish any relationship possible with my parents. I wanted to have a family. I big, happy, family. That is all I ever wanted. **_

_**Maybe I don't deserve a good life. Maybe I don't deserve a happy family. I've killed a lot of people. I've made kid's orphans. I've destroyed families because of this business. I've shot my best friend in the back. I've done so many awful things that I'm ashamed of myself. Maybe this sacrifice would redeem some of the things I did. But again, I took two more lives. I guess nothing can go right in my life for good. **_

_**They always say you see a bright light as you fade away. But I don't. I only see my vision get blurry again. Maybe I'll see Rob one day again. Meet him in a place where none of this crap mattered. I hope that my little redhead and our baby will be alright. I know they will. She is strong. Stronger then I ever was. She never lost her way. She was always good to people. She was always nice to everyone. She never let her bad life change her. I know she will keep going. I only hope that she will forgive me. I know I never will forgive myself.**_

As his last breath left his body, Beck and Jade had picked up Cat and drove her to Andre's place. They didn't tell her yet what had happened, but she seemed to know. Jade kept an eye on her the whole time, but Cat didn't cry. She only looked into the sky, her mind seemingly wandering off. They arrived at Andre's place a few minutes later. Beck told him that moment what happened.

"W-what? You left him there by himself?" Andre yelled, anger overwhelming him at the news. "Why didn't you call me? If I was there, we could… he could have… Fuck!" He yelled as he kicked one of the street sins, knocking it down and out of the ground.

"N-no. I-it's my fault. I made you stay." Tori said as she turned towards Cat, slowly walking to her friend. "C-Cat, I'm so sorry." Tori said as she stopped right in front of her.

"It's not your fault." Cat only said, giving Tori a small smile while tears slowly mad their way down her cheek. "We'll be alright." Cat said as she placed her hand on her belly.

It was the moment when everybody realized why Adam was so happy for a few days. He never gave them a reason. He wanted to surprise them. Everyone's eyes grew wide at the realization.

"Y-you mean you are…" Beck began, but his voice died down. Cat only nodded. Beck dropped to his knees, everything becoming too much for him to handle. His shoulders began shaking as silent sobs left his body, while Andre ran over to Cat to hug her in a protective hug, his eyes shut as tightly as possible to prevent the tears from escaping. Tori joined Andre in the embrace of their pregnant friend while Jade hugged Beck, knowing that none of them would ever be the same.


	24. Second chance

_A year passed since we got out of LA. The five of us made our way north, towards the border. After a few days of travel and staying in hotels we finally arrived at my hometown. It was a small place and people had already forgotten about me. We rented a house there and waited for something to happen. I got the news a week later._

_Before we got to the border, we left a package to be sent via private courier to the FBI. The package had the notebooks Adam took from Roy's place and handed to me. It was the one thing the FBI needed to take down the Trapani crime family. In it were all the numbers, all the names, all the deals made by Roy and the tributes, shares and even the exact dates they were made. As soon as they realized what they actually got into their mail, everything fell apart. _

_The wiseguys made a run for it, but there was no use. They had all their names and addresses in a matter of hours. Soldiers and Capos alike were arrested and taken into custody. The snitches in the police, the political allies, judges, lawyers, attorneys… everyone who was a part of it got ratted out by the others, trying to make deals. The FBI was smart; I have to give them that. They let them spill out all the secrets before they let them know that they already knew most of it anyway. But they still got some more names out of it. In the end, every piece of evidence led to one man: the boss himself, Aldo Trapani. _

_They arrested him in New York in his office a few days later. He was still going nuts over Dominique's, Theodore's and Roy's deaths. He thought it was Adam. After all, it was the most logical conclusion, and exactly what Adam wanted. Aldo didn't even notice us slipping out of LA. He was too occupied everything else. Once the police walked into his house, he broke down. Who wouldn't after your empire crumbled right in front of your eyes in a matter of a week? Not his money, not his contacts, not the judges, not the politicians he had in his pocket… nothing could save him. He couldn't escape jail this time. I heard he got sentenced to death. _

_David Vega didn't last long either. I heard that when the FBI walked into his office, he didn't even say a word. He didn't even look at them. He was a broken man by then, realizing that he not only had lost his family, but was directly responsible for the death of his own daughter. He walked out with the FBI without putting up any resistance. A month later he hanged himself in his own cell, just like Trina was hung a few weeks before him. _

_Miss Vega, Miss Harris and Miss Shapiro all got taken care off. Miss Harris died two months ago. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. Andre went back to LA to attend her funeral. It was a risky move, but he knew how to deal with it. He came back three days later. Nobody even knew that he was there. _

_Miss Shapiro didn't handle her son's and future daughter's in law death very well. She had a mental breakdown and is now staying at a home. She is taken care of well, we made sure of that. _

_Miss Vega sold the house and moved to her relatives in El Paso, Texas. She is still grieving about Trina. Once she found out what David had done, she decided to give life another chance, despite her illness. She is doing fine. I heard she even met someone new there. _

_As for us, we moved out of Canada and headed south, on one of Brazil's islands. We bought two houses there, Cat staying with Tori and Andre for now. Jade and I visit them every day, just like we are going to today. We had three anniversaries in three days: Rob's, Trina's and finally Adam's. The first two days went okay. We spent time together and just shared stories about them. But it was today that still made my stomach turn. It was the anniversary of Adam's death. It was one year ago when he died so we could get a chance to start our lives over. _

Tori looked towards the beach, her heart breaking at the view. Cat was standing on the sand, holding her baby daughter in her arms and looking at the ocean. Tori opened the glass slide door and walked out, making her way towards the redhead.

"Your daddy loved the beach. He wanted to buy a house near one so the two of you could go swimming, build sandcastles and do all fun things. He wanted to buy one because he knew I loved the beach too. Do you love the beach, Lilly?" Cat asked her daughter as she was laughing happily and playing with her mother's long, red hair. She didn't even notice Tori standing behind her. "Yes, you do. If daddy was here he would have loved it too. And he would have loved you more than anything in the world." Cat continued. Tori looked on, her heart breaking at Cat's words and her strength. Tori knew she would have been done mentally had something happened to Andre, but Cat was stronger. Cat always was. And now, she was strong for her daughter. Tori remembered the day Lilly was born; the look in Cat's face when she held her daughter for the first time. It was a mixture of both happiness and pain. But for her daughter, Cat endured the pain. She openly talked about Adam. She shared her memories about him. It seemed like a way for her to deal with it.

"You want to sleep? Come on, it's time for your nap." Cat said as she turned around, seeing Tori standing there.

"Are you okay?" Tori asked.

"I'm okay; just telling Lilly some things about her dad." Cat said as she hugged her daughter close to herself. They walked back into the house when Andre came back with some groceries.

"Hey there." He said as he placed the bags on the table. He walked over to Cat and took Lilly in his arms. "Hi there little one." Andre said as he began walking around with Lilly in his arm.

Tori looked at her boyfriend, happy to see him alive and well. After everything that happened, it was only by luck and a friend's sacrifice that they were here. Otherwise, they all would be gone one way or another.

"Andre really loves her." Tori said as she stood next to Cat. Cat smiled a weak smile, but her eyes spoke of a pain that would have crushed anyone else. Tori saw it, as she turned and wrapped both arms around the smaller girl. "If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here. You know that, right?" Tori asked. She felt Cat hug her back, before she noticed her shoulder slowly getting wet. Cat was crying.

"He told me he would never leave me, Tori." Cat said through a silent sob. "Why is everyone I love..."

"I won't leave you, Jade won't leave you and neither will Andre and Beck." Tori told her. A moment later, she felt two strong arms around her.

"You got that right, girl. We aren't leaving, Cat. And neither did Adam. He did this for us. For you, Cat and for your baby. I give you my word, you are not alone." Andre said as he hugged the two girls, having overheard the conversation. Lilly was lying in her bed, having fallen asleep a minute after Andre took her.

"Andre's right, Cat. We aren't leaving anytime soon." They heard from the back door. Beck and Jade were standing there, both smiling sympathetically as they joined in the moment, reassuring Cat that everything will be fine.

The girls were lying outside, enjoying the sunny day while Andre and Beck stood by the door, looking at the three girls.

"Have you heard anything new from north?" Andre asked.

"Aldo is still in dead row, the rackets got taken over almost immediately as soon as the word came out and everybody seems to have forgotten about us." Beck told him.

"And now, we are free. We got enough money to not have a single care in the world. Not to mention that this place is way cheaper then back in LA." Andre said.

"It came with a price." Beck said; his mood worsening.

"It did. But since we got a second chance, why not use it?" Andre asked.

"Way ahead of you." Beck said as he took a small box out of his pocket. He opened it and revealed the ring to his friend.

"Not really." Andre said with a smirk as he took out a similar box out himself. Beck let out a chuckle at the situation.

"Well, let's just not rush the kids stuff like Adam did." Beck said as he looked into the house, smiling at Lilly as she was asleep.

"Let's just hope she comes after her mom in terms of looks." Andre said as he walked into the house to get everything for the BBQ while Beck laughed at the comment.

_Yes, we did pay the price. Andre and I lost two friends, Cat lost her fiancé, Tori lost her sister and Jade her father. But we all already had dealt with losses before. We knew how to deal with them now. We had all the time to grief. We all still had each other, and that's what is important. _

_I don't regret living the life I lived. It gave me everything I had and everything I have now. And I'm about to use my second chance at life. One given by an old friend. And just like I know he wished, we would continue to live free and happily. As for Cat, I will hold my word. Nothing will ever happen to her. Not to her, and not to Lilly. _

The end.


	25. Author's Note

I would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the story.

To answer some questions immediately:

There won't be a sequel. I told the story I wanted to tell and see no point in continuing it any longer.

I don't know when I'm writing my next story and what it will be about. I'm trying to come up with something that hasn't been done to death already. If you got any suggestions or ideas, PM me and I'll see if I like the idea.

Once again, thank you all. You can always check out my other stories. You might find something you like there.

See you next time.


	26. Wisequys sequel? AN

I have a question to you, all my loyal Wiseguys readers.

I know I said I would not write a sequel, but for a while now, an idea has crept into my mind for a sequel and it refuses to give me rest. Not to spoil the plot or anything, but I can promise a darker, more violent and more brutally honest story than the original, which is more romantic. After all, it was told from the perspective of a young man, while this one would happen 20 years later.

Let me know what you think and if I should write it. The Last 10 Days of Robbie Shapiro only got a few more chapters to go and I want another project next to „Sad Eyes" to focus on, since my attention span to a single story can grow thin once in a while.

So, would you like me to write a sequel or should I leave the story and it's ending untouched? Let me know.

Yours truly, Djuro.


	27. Wiseguys sequel

Just to let you all know. The sequel is up.

The name is "Wise once again".


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